Theoretical Investigation of Gamma- and Neutron-Shielding Properties of Polysulfone (PSU) Polymer Material Using Geant4

Polymers are widely used materials that have many medical and industrial applications. Some polymers have even been introduced as radiation-shielding materials; therefore, many studies are focusing on new polymers and their interactions with photons and neutrons. Research has focused on theoretical estimation of the shielding effectiveness of different materials. It is well known that theoretical studies on the shielding properties of different materials through modeling and simulation have many benefits, as they help scientists to choose the right shielding material for a specific application, and they are also much more cost-effective and take much less time compared to experimental studies. In this study, polysulfone (PSU) was investigated. PSU is a high-temperature, amber-colored, semi-transparent plastic material with good mechanical properties. It is resistant to degradation from hot water and steam and is often used in medical and food preparation applications, where repeated sterilization is required. The interactions of photons and neutrons with PSU were investigated using a Monte Carlo-based simulation toolkit, Geant4, within a wide range of energies of both photons and neutrons. The mass attenuation coefficients (µ(m)), the half-value layers (HVL), the effective atomic numbers (Z(eff)), and the effective electron densities (N(eff)) of gammas were investigated. In addition, the effective removal cross-sections (Σ(R)) and the mean free paths (λ) of neutrons were also studied. The results were then compared to other commonly used polymer materials.