IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v14y2022i23p16225-d994058.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Deep Insights into the Radiation Shielding Features of Heavy Minerals in Their Native Status: Implications for Their Physical, Mineralogical, Geochemical, and Morphological Properties

Author

Listed:
  • Mostafa A. Masoud

    (Applied Mineralogy and Water Research Lab (AMWRL), Geology Department, Faculty of Science, Beni-Suef University, Beni Suef 62521, Egypt)

  • Ahmed M. El-Khayatt

    (Department of Physics, College of Science, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh 11642, Saudi Arabia)

  • Mohammad W. Marashdeh

    (Department of Physics, College of Science, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh 11642, Saudi Arabia)

  • Mohamed G. Shahien

    (Applied Mineralogy and Water Research Lab (AMWRL), Geology Department, Faculty of Science, Beni-Suef University, Beni Suef 62521, Egypt)

  • Bottros R. Bakhit

    (Geology Department, Faculty of Science, Beni-Suef University, Beni Suef 62521, Egypt)

  • Wael Abdelwahab

    (Geological Sciences Department, National Research Centre, El-Buhouth St., Dokki, Cairo 12622, Egypt)

  • Mohamed Abdel Rafea

    (Department of Physics, College of Science, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh 11642, Saudi Arabia)

  • Ahmed M. Zayed

    (Applied Mineralogy and Water Research Lab (AMWRL), Geology Department, Faculty of Science, Beni-Suef University, Beni Suef 62521, Egypt)

Abstract

Barite and hematite are the most common heavy-weight minerals applied as aggregates in radiation shielding concrete (RSC). Therefore, to limit the cement consumption and reduce the CO 2 emissions accompanying its production, the aim of this study is to use Egyptian barite and hematite minerals in their native status and evaluate their attenuation efficiency against fast neutrons and γ-rays. This was implemented through the measurement of their radiation attenuation against fast neutrons and γ-rays in the energy ranges of 0.80–11 and 0.40–8.30 MeV, respectively, employing a Pu-Be source and a stilbene scintillator. Theoretical calculations were prepared using the NXcom program to validate the fast neutron attenuation measurements. Furthermore, the implications of the physical, mineralogical, geochemical, and morphological characteristics of these heavy-weight minerals with respect to their attenuation efficiencies were considered. We found that barite has superior radiation attenuation efficiency for fast neutrons and γ-rays compared to hematite by 9.17 and 51% for fast neutrons and γ-rays, respectively. This was ascribed to the superior physical, mineralogical, geochemical, and morphological properties of the former relative to those of the latter. Furthermore, a satisfactory agreement between the experimental and theoretical results was achieved, with a deviation of 16 and 19.25% for the barite and hematite samples, respectively. Eventually, barite and hematite can be successful candidates for their use as sustainable alternatives to common RSC.

Suggested Citation

  • Mostafa A. Masoud & Ahmed M. El-Khayatt & Mohammad W. Marashdeh & Mohamed G. Shahien & Bottros R. Bakhit & Wael Abdelwahab & Mohamed Abdel Rafea & Ahmed M. Zayed, 2022. "Deep Insights into the Radiation Shielding Features of Heavy Minerals in Their Native Status: Implications for Their Physical, Mineralogical, Geochemical, and Morphological Properties," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-19, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:23:p:16225-:d:994058
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/23/16225/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/23/16225/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sanglim Lee & Minkyung Kim & Jiwoong Lee, 2017. "Analyzing the Impact of Nuclear Power on CO 2 Emissions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(8), pages 1-13, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Luiza Ossowska & Dorota Janiszewska & Natalia Bartkowiak-Bakun & Grzegorz Kwiatkowski, 2020. "Energy Consumption Versus Greenhouse Gas Emissions in EU," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(3), pages 185-198.
    2. Asif Raihan & Grzegorz Zimon & Mohammad Mahtab Alam & Md. Rehan Khan & Beata Sadowska, 2024. "Nexus between Nuclear Energy, Economic Growth, and Greenhouse Gas Emissions in India," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 14(2), pages 172-182, March.
    3. Azam, Anam & Rafiq, Muhammad & Shafique, Muhammad & Zhang, Haonan & Yuan, Jiahai, 2021. "Analyzing the effect of natural gas, nuclear energy and renewable energy on GDP and carbon emissions: A multi-variate panel data analysis," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 219(C).
    4. Wang, Haiyan & Lei, Zhaoyang, 2023. "Energy supply from oil and gas, mineral depletion, and total natural resource rents: Impact of oil equivalent energy use CO2 intensity," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 86(PB).
    5. Miguel-Angel Perea-Moreno & Francisco Manzano-Agugliaro & Quetzalcoatl Hernandez-Escobedo & Alberto-Jesus Perea-Moreno, 2018. "Peanut Shell for Energy: Properties and Its Potential to Respect the Environment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-15, September.
    6. Hossain, Mohammad Razib & Rana, Md. Jaber & Saha, Sourav Mohan & Haseeb, Mohammad & Islam, Md. Sayemul & Amin, Md. Ruhul & Hossain, Md. Emran, 2023. "Role of energy mix and eco-innovation in achieving environmental sustainability in the USA using the dynamic ARDL approach: Accounting the supply side of the ecosystem," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 215(C).
    7. Ivan A. Duran & Najia Saqib & Haider Mahmood, 2023. "Assessing the Connection between Nuclear and Renewable Energy on Ecological Footprint within the EKC Framework: Implications for Sustainable Policy in Leading Nuclear Energy-producing Countries," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 13(2), pages 256-264, March.
    8. Kartal, Mustafa Tevfik & Kılıç Depren, Serpil & Ayhan, Fatih & Ulussever, Talat, 2024. "Quantile-based heterogeneous effects of nuclear energy and political stability on the environment in highly nuclear energy-consuming and politically stable countries," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 365(C).
    9. Diana Silva Siqueira & Josué Meystre & Maicon Queiroz Hilário & Danilo Henrique Donato Rocha & Genésio José Menon & Rogério José Silva, 2019. "Current perspectives on nuclear energy as a global climate change mitigation option," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 24(5), pages 749-777, June.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:23:p:16225-:d:994058. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.