Factors of Selecting Radiation Shielding

The most common criteria for selecting shielding materials are radiation attenuation, ease of heat removal, resistance to radiation damage, economy and structural strength.

For the material, as we know, tungsten is always the suitable metal resistant to radiation damage, although there is some change in their mechanical properties after sintering.

Also the shielding cost is quite important; cost of tungsten must be a little expensive against the effect of shield size on other material, such as lead, for example, building size and support structure. However, its radiation absorption is excellent.

In that way to consider selecting a radiationshielding, then would be helpful to realize it varies with applications. The overall thickness of material is chosen to reduce radiation intensities outside the shield to levels well within prescribed limits for occupational exposure or for exposure of the general public. The reactor shield is usually considered to consist of two regions, the biological shield and the thermal shield. It is usually designed to absorb most of the energy of the escaping radiation and thus to protect the steel reactor vessel from radiation damage. It is often made of steel and is cooled by the primary coolant. The biological shield is added outside to reduce the external dose rate to a tolerable level.