Abstract
This work is dedicated to figuring out robust epoxy/magnetite/boron carbide (EP/Mag/B4C) composite for radiation attenuation at multiple applications related to nuclear installations, as well as restoration mortar for cracking developed in concrete biological shields. The mechanical properties (flexural, compressive, and impact strengths) and the physical properties (water absorption, porosity, and dry bulk density), each, have been performed to label the composite integrity for practical application. In practice, attenuation properties have been performed by using a collimated beam emitted from spontaneous fission Cf-252 (100 mu g) neutron source and neutron gamma spectrometer with stilbene scintillator. The pulse shape discrimination technique which would come of the zero cross over method was used to measure the fast neutron and gamma- ray spectra. Thermal neutron fluxes have been measured by using the thermal neutron detection system and the BF-3 detector. The attenuation parameters: precisely, macroscopic effective removal cross-sections Sigma(R) (cm(-1)), macroscopic cross-sections Sigma (cm(-1)), and total attenuation coefficients mu (cm(-1)) of fast and thermal neutrons and total gammarays respectively were evaluated using the attenuation relations. Also, the MCNP5 code and MERCSF-N program have been used to compute the parameters theoretically. When applicable, measured and calculated results were compared, and it tells us a comprehensive agreement.