A Systematic Review on the Radiation Shielding Performance of Metal-Polymer Composites

Radiation usage in various sectors necessitates effective shielding materials to protect workers from ionizing radiation hazards. While lead is commonly used, its application in personal protective equipment (PPE) poses ergonomic and environmental challenges. This systematic literature review has focused on the efficacy of metal and polymer composites in shielding against photon rays. Published papers from the past decade were identified and the selected papers from 2015 to 2023 were analysed based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The paper included must be original studies, English language, published within the last ten years, and the findings of shielding properties against radiation are included. Based on this review, various metals and polymers have been integrated to explore the potential shielding efficiency of composites. As a result, multiple factors such as the metal type, particle size, metal composition, atomic number, thickness, and energy level could affect the radiation shielding ability of these composites. Metals with a high atomic number, for example, tungsten (Z = 74) have been proven to have superior shielding ability compared to metals with a low atomic number, for example, tin (Z = 50). Thus, combining multiple metals could enhance their shielding efficiency based on elevated metal composition and thickness. Nonetheless, the mechanical properties of these composites could be reduced. Higher energy levels were also associated with decreased protection against photon rays. This review would be able to provide comprehensive insights into the efficiency of metal and polymer composites in photon ray shielding for radiation protection by considering multiple factors, such as the type of metal, particle size, metal composition, atomic number of composites, thickness, and energy levels.