Development of boron carbide concrete for enhanced radiation shielding in nuclear reactors
Concrete is widely utilized as a radiation shielding material fortified by its neutron attenuation property, affordability, mouldability, easy availability and strength characteristics. This study examined the effectiveness of incorporation of Boron Carbide (B4C), a material renowned for its neutron...
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Elsevier
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Case Studies in Construction Materials |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214509525001524 |
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| author | P. Gokul J. Ashok Kumar R. Preetha Sudipta Chattopadhyaya Pew Basu M. Menaka V. Subramanian B. Venkatraman Dhanya Sathyan K. Jayanarayanan Mini K. Madhavan |
| author_facet | P. Gokul J. Ashok Kumar R. Preetha Sudipta Chattopadhyaya Pew Basu M. Menaka V. Subramanian B. Venkatraman Dhanya Sathyan K. Jayanarayanan Mini K. Madhavan |
| author_sort | P. Gokul |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Concrete is widely utilized as a radiation shielding material fortified by its neutron attenuation property, affordability, mouldability, easy availability and strength characteristics. This study examined the effectiveness of incorporation of Boron Carbide (B4C), a material renowned for its neutron attenuation properties as a fine aggregate replacement in concrete, to enhance its neutron shielding capabilities without compromising the strength. This research provides insights into the development of special concrete for radiation shielding, in diverse nuclear and medical applications. The radiation shielding concrete (RSC) was prepared by replacing fine aggregate with B4C in various percentages 5 %, 10 % and 15 %. The workability, mechanical properties and neutron attenuation characteristics of B4C admixed concrete were compared with those of ordinary concrete. Results showed that the inclusion of B4C slightly reduced workability, with a 9.5 % slump reduction in samples containing 15 % B4C. Compressive strength exhibited a minor reduction at higher B4C levels, maintaining the target strength of 30 MPa at 15 % B4C, while split tensile and flexural strength showed negligible changes. Microstructural analysis indicated a minor increase in porosity with increasing B4C content. Hence the results demonstrate a substantial improvement in neutron shielding with minimal strength reduction. Additionally, gamma shielding showed comparable performance to normal concrete. Hence, the test results demonstrated that the inclusion of Boron Carbide significantly enhances the neutron shielding performance of concrete, devoid of any compromise on the latter's integrity. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-775fd96216fc4d6fbb4eab1179e49f30 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2214-5095 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Case Studies in Construction Materials |
| spelling | doaj-art-775fd96216fc4d6fbb4eab1179e49f302025-02-07T04:47:35ZengElsevierCase Studies in Construction Materials2214-50952025-07-0122e04354Development of boron carbide concrete for enhanced radiation shielding in nuclear reactorsP. Gokul0J. Ashok Kumar1R. Preetha2Sudipta Chattopadhyaya3Pew Basu4M. Menaka5V. Subramanian6B. Venkatraman7Dhanya Sathyan8K. Jayanarayanan9Mini K. Madhavan10Department of Civil Engineering, Amrita School of Engineering, Coimbatore, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham 641112, IndiaIndira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 600086, IndiaIndira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 600086, IndiaIndira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 600086, IndiaIndira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 600086, IndiaIndira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 600086, IndiaIndira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 600086, IndiaIndira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 600086, IndiaDepartment of Civil Engineering, Amrita School of Engineering, Coimbatore, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham 641112, IndiaDepartment of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Amrita School of Engineering, Coimbatore, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham 641112, IndiaDepartment of Civil Engineering, Amrita School of Engineering, Coimbatore, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham 641112, India; Corresponding author.Concrete is widely utilized as a radiation shielding material fortified by its neutron attenuation property, affordability, mouldability, easy availability and strength characteristics. This study examined the effectiveness of incorporation of Boron Carbide (B4C), a material renowned for its neutron attenuation properties as a fine aggregate replacement in concrete, to enhance its neutron shielding capabilities without compromising the strength. This research provides insights into the development of special concrete for radiation shielding, in diverse nuclear and medical applications. The radiation shielding concrete (RSC) was prepared by replacing fine aggregate with B4C in various percentages 5 %, 10 % and 15 %. The workability, mechanical properties and neutron attenuation characteristics of B4C admixed concrete were compared with those of ordinary concrete. Results showed that the inclusion of B4C slightly reduced workability, with a 9.5 % slump reduction in samples containing 15 % B4C. Compressive strength exhibited a minor reduction at higher B4C levels, maintaining the target strength of 30 MPa at 15 % B4C, while split tensile and flexural strength showed negligible changes. Microstructural analysis indicated a minor increase in porosity with increasing B4C content. Hence the results demonstrate a substantial improvement in neutron shielding with minimal strength reduction. Additionally, gamma shielding showed comparable performance to normal concrete. Hence, the test results demonstrated that the inclusion of Boron Carbide significantly enhances the neutron shielding performance of concrete, devoid of any compromise on the latter's integrity.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214509525001524Boron carbideRadiation shielding concreteNeutron shieldingRadiation attenuationMechanical propertiesNeutron attenuation |
| spellingShingle | P. Gokul J. Ashok Kumar R. Preetha Sudipta Chattopadhyaya Pew Basu M. Menaka V. Subramanian B. Venkatraman Dhanya Sathyan K. Jayanarayanan Mini K. Madhavan Development of boron carbide concrete for enhanced radiation shielding in nuclear reactors Case Studies in Construction Materials Boron carbide Radiation shielding concrete Neutron shielding Radiation attenuation Mechanical properties Neutron attenuation |
| title | Development of boron carbide concrete for enhanced radiation shielding in nuclear reactors |
| title_full | Development of boron carbide concrete for enhanced radiation shielding in nuclear reactors |
| title_fullStr | Development of boron carbide concrete for enhanced radiation shielding in nuclear reactors |
| title_full_unstemmed | Development of boron carbide concrete for enhanced radiation shielding in nuclear reactors |
| title_short | Development of boron carbide concrete for enhanced radiation shielding in nuclear reactors |
| title_sort | development of boron carbide concrete for enhanced radiation shielding in nuclear reactors |
| topic | Boron carbide Radiation shielding concrete Neutron shielding Radiation attenuation Mechanical properties Neutron attenuation |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214509525001524 |
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