The Properties of Ternary Alloys Protectors Pb-Cu-Te for a Neutral Low Ionization Radiation

Suha Mohammed Ghareeb; Zeno Muhyaldeen  Abdullah; Sabah Mahmoud  Aman Allah

doi:10.51699/cajmns.v6i4.2943

Suha Mohammed Ghareeb Department of Physics-College of Education for Pure Sciences-University of Kirkuk-Kirkuk-Iraq
Zeno Muhyaldeen Abdullah Department of Physics-College of Education for Pure Sciences-University of Kirkuk-Kirkuk-Iraq
Sabah Mahmoud Aman Allah Department of Physics-College of Education for Pure Sciences-University of Kirkuk-Kirkuk-Iraq

DOI: https://doi.org/10.51699/cajmns.v6i4.2943

Keywords: Gamma-ray, Lead Alloys, Mass Attenuation Coefficient, Effective Atomic Number, Mean Free Path, XCOM, NGCal, SAZ Code

Abstract

The purpose of present research work is evaluation the gamma-ray interactions with five lead-based alloys. The samples were defined with high lead (Pb) content (>99.8%) and doped with trace amounts of copper (Cu) and tellurium (Te). The key shielding parameters were calculated through gamma photon energy ranged (0.05953–1.332)MeV using three computational tools: XCOM, NGCal, and Py-MILBUF. The programs showed excellent agreement, confirming the reliability of the data, with a slight discrepancy in Py-MILBUF at 0.08099 MeV near the K-edge of lead. All parameters, including mass attenuation coefficient (MAC), molecular cross-section (σ_t.m), and electronic cross-section (σ_ele), strongly depended on photon energy, decreasing sharply as energy increased—reflecting a shift from the Photoelectric Effect to Compton Scattering. Sample S3, with the highest lead content (99.93%), exhibited superior shielding, recording the highest MAC, an effective atomic number (Z_eff = 81.974), and the shortest mean free path (MFP), making it the most efficient shield. Conversely, sample S4, with the lowest lead and highest copper content, showed the weakest shielding. The findings confirm that small compositional changes in lead-based alloys significantly affect shielding performance, with higher lead fractions being critical. These results provide a strong basis for developing advanced shielding materials for nuclear and medical applications.

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