Abstract
The addition of MnCl2 to polymer materials enhances their optical and radiation shielding characteristics is an interesting path for polymer applications in nuclear radiation shielding. In this work, impacts of MnCl2 incorporation on the structure, optical properties, and shielding properties of PVA polymer are investigated in detail. Additionally, the effect of MnCl2 on the PVA lattice is examined, as well as the ensuing optical and radiation shielding response. The obtained findings contribute to a better understanding of the optical and shielding properties of PVA-polymer reinforced with MnCl2. The optical characteristics of the produced material show a rise in absorbance and refractive index as the MnCl2 concentration increases. According to the simulation results for gamma rays determined using the XCOM tool, all radiation shielding characteristics are highly reliant on the density and doping material MnCl2 in the PVA polymer matrix. Our findings showed that there is a direct link between the increasing reinforcement ratio of MnCl2 and studied material properties. A correlation between the above studies and recent works proved that the obtained results of the behaviour of doped samples due to overlapping Mn d-states with valence band leads to concluded that MnCl2 is an effective multifunctional tool in terms of enhancing the optical and individual gamma-ray attenuation properties of PVA polymers.