Silicone-based polymer composites containing high atomic number additives are prioritized for the development of new materials for radiation shielding, due to their mechanical, thermal, electrical, and multifunctional properties. The X-ray attenuation properties, as well as mechanical properties, of the newly developed-lead-free multi-layered structures for radiation shielding, based on silicone composite layers containing tin, cerium oxide, tungsten oxide, and bismuth additives, are analyzed and discussed in this paper. It is shown that, by varying the additive concentrations in silicone composites, lead-free and flexible layered structures, exhibiting lead-equivalent X-ray shielding, can be fabricated.
Keywords: X-ray attenuation; lead-free; multi-layered structure; polymer composites; radiation shielding and radiation protection.