https://doi.org/10.1140/epjs/s11734-023-00904-7
Regular Article
Optimization of filler content and minimizing thickness of polymeric composite for shielding against neutron source by Response Surface Methodology (RSM) and Monte Carlo simulation
1
Environmental and Applied Engineering Department, University of Pitesti, Pitesti, Romania
2
Department of Energy Engineering and Physics, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
Received:
30
August
2022
Accepted:
31
May
2023
Published online:
27
July
2023
Neutron shielding generally is made of polymeric base content with a neutron absorption additive material. Optimization of additive neutron absorption material and minimizing of polymeric base thickness are surveyed and performed in this research. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) is used in this research study to investigate the simultaneous effect of the mentioned parameters on the radiation shielding efficiency of polymer composite. The RSM technique uses a second-order polynomial model for obtaining the optimum response of an outcome. With 2 independent variables including boron filler content and polymer thickness, 26 experiments are designed by Design Expert software. MCNP Monte Carlo simulation is performed for these 26 experiments according to the stand test data and designed shielding slabs and the outputs are imported to the Design Expert software which the result of that are response surfaces. Results of statistical analysis of variance (ANOVA) show that the p-value for the model is less than 0.05 and the value of R2 is also equal to 0.9970, which demonstrate good agreement between simulation data and proposed model using RSM. For shielding efficiency of fast neutron source, in optimization condition, the boron percentage content is 8.5% and the shield thickness is 100 mm and in minimizing condition, the boron percentage content is 20% and the minimized shield thickness is 71 mm. For thermal neutron source, the boron percentage content is 19.5% and the shield thickness is 594 microns in optimization condition and in minimizing condition, the boron percentage content is 17.4% and the minimized shield thickness is 462 microns. The optimum and minimize conditions for fast and thermal neutron sources predicted by model were validated by MCNP simulation for all responses, which reported a variation of less than 5%, and shows that the presented model is suitable for the design and construction of radiation polymeric composite shields. By implementing this research results using RSM as an efficient optimization tool, additive material can be optimized, and also base shield thickness can be minimized as performed in this study for designing a desired shield with minimum thickness for multipurpose cases.
Copyright comment Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to EDP Sciences, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2023. Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
