Geant4 comprehensive evaluation of polystyrene-tungsten (VI) oxide composites for gamma and neutron radiation shielding enhancement

This study investigates the radiation-shielding abilities of PS-WO3 composites across a range of energies, from 0.46 MeV to 2 MeV. The main objective is to discover the gamma mass attenuation (μ/ρ) and linear attenuation (μ) coefficients, along with the fast neutron removal cross section, for tungsten (VI) oxide with varying weight fractions (0 % wt, 10 % wt, 20 % wt, 30 % wt, 40 % wt, and 50 % wt). The methodology includes simulations using Geant4 by shooting a photon using a point source, passing the investigated samples while a NaI detector was used to detect the un-attenuated photons, and EpiXS was used to validate the key parameters, such as half-value layers and effective atomic numbers. Simulations using a Geant4-designed female phantom validated the results. Findings indicate that the PS-WO3 50 % sample exhibits the highest dose absorption and scattering ability, making it the most effective shielding material among the samples. This research provides valuable insights for applications in radiation protection, particularly in occupational exposure scenarios.