Abstract
In this study, the shielding properties of six samples of the polyester (PE)/HgO composite against photons with an energy range of 0.01-15 MeV (including a (137)Cs source with an energy of 662 keV) are evaluated. Moreover, to study the structure of the samples, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were performed. The experimental results of the linear attenuation coefficient (LAC), mass attenuation coefficient (MAC), half-value layer (HVL), tenth-value layer (TVL), mean free path (MFP), effective atomic number (Z(eff)), effective electron density (N(eff)), and equivalent atomic number (Z(eq)) parameters were compared to the simulation values obtained by the Monte Carlo codes GEANT4 and MCNP and the online programs Phy-X/photon shielding and dosimetry (PSD) and XCOM. The experimental data and simulation values exhibited good compatibility. The experimental result and simulated values (by GEANT4, MCNP, Phy-X/PSD, and XCOM programs) of the MAC parameter for the Hg5 sample are 0.0843 ± 0.002, 0.0843, 0.0833, 0.0845, and 0.0840 cm(2)/g, respectively. Therefore, the Hg5 sample with the highest value of density and MAC can be selected as the best shield against photons with an energy of 662 keV among the other samples.