An investigation on the mass attenuation coefficients of W-VC-C and W-VC-TiC-C composites for gamma radioisotopes

In this study, tungsten-vanadium carbide-graphite and tungsten-vanadium carbide-titanium carbide-graphite composites (W-VC-TiC-C) which can be used in high-tech equipment were investigated against different gamma radioisotopes. The composite materials were produced via mechanical alloying method in two groups; one of them includes 93% tungsten (W), 6% vanadium carbide (VC) and 1% graphite (C) which was synthesized during three different alloying times (6, 12, 24 hours). Other group of the samples were composited as 91% tungsten, 6% vanadium carbide (VC), 2% titanium carbide (TiC) and 1% graphite (C) which has also three different alloying times (6, 12, 24 hours). Gamma transmission technique was used in the experiments to investigate the gamma attenuation properties of the composite materials. Linear and mass attenuation coefficients of the samples were determined in the experiments and theoretical mass attenuation coefficients were calculated using widely acknowledged XCOM computer code. The experimental mass attenuation coefficients and calculated theoretical results were compared and evaluated with each other. Results showed that gamma attenuation coefficients of the composite materials dependent on alloying time. It can be concluded that increasing the tungsten ratio causes higher linear attenuation coefficient which decreases with increasing gamma energies.