Gamma Spectrometry Forum

Has anyone tried to use Magnetite ore for shielding? It is much cheaper than lead. A Korean team did some tests with magnetite concrete for shielding and found that it was 92% as effective as a slab shield. http://www.kns.org/jknsfile/v3/A0480328 ... 4a4b241782 The density of lead is about 11 and the density of magnetite around 4 so three times the volume of magnetite in a solid barrel with a PVC tube insert should shield like a lead one.... theoretically speaking.

It is not just the density, it is mostly the atomic number Z and the binding energies of the inner electrons. So mixing in iron (Z=26) with concrete (silicon, Z=14) improves the shielding of concrete without costing much. (Iron ore is very cheap now.) But it is not nearly as good as lead (Z=82).

I should try to get some of those radpads from the hospital here. They contain a mix of high-Z elements, which reduces the background at lower energies better than pure lead.

Thanks Pieter, I appreciate you clarifying there. I will look into the radpads.