The Effect of Pumice Rate on the Gamma Absorption Parameters of Concrete

Since the technology concerning gamma radiation showed a rapid development, it became a necessity to be protected from it. One of the common shielding materials for this purpose is concrete. This study aims to give the effect of pumice rate on the gamma radiation attenuation coefficients of normal concrete (ρ = 2.476 g $cm^{-3}$) containing different rates of pumice mineral. Pumice, for which the Gölcük region in Isparta province is rich, is a volcanic originated spongy and porous mineral. Although it is a light material, it has a high comprehensive strength and heat resistance. So it became a common construction material in buildings. In the study, the variation of attenuation coefficients for concretes of different pumice rates were measured for 662, 1173 and 1332 keV photons using a NaI(Tl) detector. The experimental values were compared with the theoretical ones obtained by XCOM code

The properties of various igneous rocks for gamma-ray shielding

The photon linear attenuation coefficients (mu) have been calculated for four different igneous rocks which are widely used in industrial field using XCOM computer code and the results were compared with measured values. The relation between linear attenuation coefficients and some of the physical and mechanical properties of rocks has also been investigated by linear regression analysis. It has been found that with increasing linear attenuation coefficient, density, uniaxial compressive strength, bending strength, shore hardness and SiO2 percentage have also increased, however the other properties such as abrasion strength and porosity have decreased. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved