Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Optimization of filler content and minimizing thickness of polymeric composite for shielding against neutron source by Response Surface Methodology (RSM) and Monte Carlo simulation

  • Regular Article
  • Published:
The European Physical Journal Special Topics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Neutron shielding generally is made of polymeric base content with a neutron absorption additive material. Optimization of additive neutron absorption material and minimizing of polymeric base thickness are surveyed and performed in this research. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) is used in this research study to investigate the simultaneous effect of the mentioned parameters on the radiation shielding efficiency of polymer composite. The RSM technique uses a second-order polynomial model for obtaining the optimum response of an outcome. With 2 independent variables including boron filler content and polymer thickness, 26 experiments are designed by Design Expert software. MCNP Monte Carlo simulation is performed for these 26 experiments according to the stand test data and designed shielding slabs and the outputs are imported to the Design Expert software which the result of that are response surfaces. Results of statistical analysis of variance (ANOVA) show that the p-value for the model is less than 0.05 and the value of R2 is also equal to 0.9970, which demonstrate good agreement between simulation data and proposed model using RSM. For shielding efficiency of fast neutron source, in optimization condition, the boron percentage content is 8.5% and the shield thickness is 100 mm and in minimizing condition, the boron percentage content is 20% and the minimized shield thickness is 71 mm. For thermal neutron source, the boron percentage content is 19.5% and the shield thickness is 594 microns in optimization condition and in minimizing condition, the boron percentage content is 17.4% and the minimized shield thickness is 462 microns. The optimum and minimize conditions for fast and thermal neutron sources predicted by model were validated by MCNP simulation for all responses, which reported a variation of less than 5%, and shows that the presented model is suitable for the design and construction of radiation polymeric composite shields. By implementing this research results using RSM as an efficient optimization tool, additive material can be optimized, and also base shield thickness can be minimized as performed in this study for designing a desired shield with minimum thickness for multipurpose cases.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

Data availability

This manuscript has no associated data or the data will not be deposited. [Authors’ comment: There are no associated data available.]

References

  1. Z. Soltani, A. Beigzadeh, F. Ziaie, E. Asadi, Effect of particle size and percentages of Boron carbide on the thermal neutron radiation shielding properties of HDPE/B4C composite: experimental and simulation studies. Radiat. Phys. Chem. 127, 182–187 (2016)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  2. X. Li, J. Wu, C. Tang, Z. He, P. Yuan, Y. Sun, W.M. Lau, K. Zhang, J. Mei, Y. Huang, High temperature resistant polyimide/boron carbide composites for neutron radiation shielding. Compos. B Eng. 159, 355–361 (2019)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. J. Park, S. Her, S. Cho, S.M. Woo, S. Bae, Synthesis and characterization of Polyethylene/B4C composite, and its neutron shielding performance in cementitious materials: experimental and simulation studies. Cement Concr. Compos. 129, 104458 (2022)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. S. Kim, Y. Ahn, S.H. Song, D. Lee, Tungsten nanoparticle anchoring on boron nitride nanosheet-based polymer nanocomposites for complex radiation shielding. Compos. Sci. Technol. 221, 109353 (2022)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Y.-C. Liao, Xu. Dui-Gong, P.-C. Zhang, B4C/NRL flexible films for thermal neutron shielding. Nucl. Sci. Tech. 29(2), 1–9 (2018)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  6. E. Mansouri, A. Mesbahi, R. Malekzadeh, A. Ghasemi Janghjoo, M.U.R.A.T. Okutan, A review on neutron shielding performance of nanocomposite materials. Int. J. Radiat. Res. 18(4), 611–622 (2020)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. C.V. More, Z. Alsayed, M. Badawi, A. Thabet, P.P. Pawar, Polymeric composite materials for radiation shielding: a review. Environ. Chem. Lett. 19(3), 2057–2090 (2021)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Z. Chen, Z. Zhang, J. Xie, Q. Guo, Yu. Tao, P. Zhao, Z. Liu, C. Xie, Multi-objective optimization strategies for radiation shielding design with genetic algorithm. Comput. Phys. Commun. 260, 107267 (2021)

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  9. Y. Cai, Hu. Huasi, Z. Pan, Hu. Guang, T. Zhang, A method to optimize the shield compact and lightweight combining the structure with components together by genetic algorithm and MCNP code. Appl. Radiat. Isot. 139, 169–174 (2018)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. G. Hu, H. Hu, Z. Pan, Y. Cai, D. Wang, M. Yan, W. Sun, A novel method for designing the radiation shield against mixed neutrons and γ-rays (revised). Inst. Methods Phys. Res. A. (2017)

  11. J.M. Kebwaro, Y. Zhao, C. He, Design and optimization of HPLWR high pressure turbine gamma ray shield. Nucl. Eng. Des. 284, 293–299 (2015)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. M.A. Tunes, C.R.E. De Oliveira, C.G. Schön, Multi-objective optimization of a compact pressurized water nuclear reactor computational model for biological shielding design using innovative materials. Nucl. Eng. Des. 313, 20–28 (2017)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. D.C. Montgomery, Design and analysis of experiments (Wiley, 2017)

    Google Scholar 

  14. A.I. Khuri, S. Mukhopadhyay, Response surface methodology. Wiley Interdisciplin. Rev.: Comput. Stat. 2(2), 128–149 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. M.H. Flaifel, An approach towards optimization appraisal of thermal conductivity of magnetic thermoplastic elastomeric nanocomposites using response surface methodology. Polymers 12(9), 2030 (2020)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. M. Kumari, S.K. Gupta, Response surface methodological (RSM) approach for optimizing the removal of trihalomethanes (THMs) and its precursor’s by surfactant modified magnetic nanoadsorbents (sMNP)—an endeavor to diminish probable cancer risk. Sci. Rep. 9(1), 1–11 (2019)

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental and Applied Engineering Department, University of Pitesti, Pitesti, Romania

    Ghasem Rahimi & Dumitru Chirlesan

  2. Department of Energy Engineering and Physics, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, Iran

    Zahra Soltani

Authors
  1. Ghasem Rahimi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Dumitru Chirlesan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Zahra Soltani
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ghasem Rahimi.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Rahimi, G., Chirlesan, D. & Soltani, Z. Optimization of filler content and minimizing thickness of polymeric composite for shielding against neutron source by Response Surface Methodology (RSM) and Monte Carlo simulation. Eur. Phys. J. Spec. Top. 232, 1657–1663 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1140/epjs/s11734-023-00904-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1140/epjs/s11734-023-00904-7

Search

Navigation