Q. Fang, K. Perry, A. Doherty, Z. Alsmadi, L. He, M. Bourham, V. Shanov
University of Cincinnati,
United States
Keywords: composite, radiation shielding, graphite, carbon fiber veil, hot pressing
Summary:
Healthcare and industrial personnel face cumulative exposure to ionizing radiation. However, conventional lead aprons are heavy (≈4–8 kg), inflexible, and contribute to musculoskeletal strain and reduced PPE compliance. We present a carbon-based lead (C-Pb) laminated composite engineered to retain clinically relevant attenuation of X-ray and gamma (γ) radiation with improved flexibility and lower areal density. The developed material`s architecture consisted of a non-woven carbon veil infiltrated with lead and sandwiched between two thin graphite sheets. The created stack was then hot-pressed onto a fabric substrate. The carbon veil provided drape and mechanical integrity, immobilizing the lead, and the graphite sheets enabled properties like lightweight, stiffness and contributed to managing further radiation. The embedded lead facilitated strong photoelectric/Compton attenuation. Tuning lead loading, layer thicknesses, and overall laminated composite thickness enabled a balance of attenuation and flexibility providing a scalable fabrication route. Shielding performance was quantified with standardized geometry. Linear attenuation coefficients have been measured at 31 and 81 keV (medical X-ray range using a Ba source) and at 662 keV (Cs source) to extend into high-energy γ-ray regimes. Statistical analyses compared the C-Pb composites against conventional shielding materials. A textile-relevant flex testing (ASTM D5035-11) assessed durability under bending to prove that protection was retained during wear. As shown in Figure 1, the carbon veil alone exhibited linear attenuation coefficients of approximately 16, 7, 4, and 3 cm⁻¹ at 31, 81, 356, and 662 keV, respectively. The corresponding mass attenuation coefficients were calculated to be ~3.5 cm² g⁻¹ (81 keV) and ~1.5 cm² g⁻¹ (662 keV). Notably, at 662 keV the veil’s mass attenuation compares favorably to lead on a per-mass basis (Pb ~0.12 cm² g⁻¹), highlighting weight-normalized advantages and motivating the C-Pb composite development. Further data will be presented related to the measured attenuation in the range of 31 to 662 keV, flex-durability, and comparison with lead aprons. In addition, ongoing optimization of the layered architecture and material’s processing to further improve the weight-to-protection performance will be reported.