Tungsten Shielding in the Applications of Nuclear Industry and Medicine

Today, there is a huge focus on the widespread prevalence of nuclear medicine applications. There are some of the best and most sophisticated components (engineered) available which allow for imaging of molecules and nuclear medicines for the purpose of absorbing the gamma X-rays and gamma radiations, including tungsten radiation shielding. This eventually helps in a safe and proper diagnosis of a therapeutic treatment. There has been a widespread increase in tungsten shields against gamma and x-ray radiation in nuclear medicinal applications.

Tungsten Radiation Shielding Applications

– Nuclear Engineering

You can use tungsten alloy shielding to create an effective barrier against the penetration of harmful radiation. Therefore, it finds a wide variety of applications in nuclear engineering.

Tungsten offers excellent attenuation properties. This is because thinner guards can be used without compromising the level of protection provided to personnel or sensitive equipment.

 – Assessment of Nuclear Fuel and Waste

The investigational procedures used to determine the radionuclide content of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and waste materials are applied to SNF and waste materials, respectively.

Accurate collimators are required in fuel assay and waste assay systems to focus the incoming tungsten radiation shielding and ensure proper readings can be obtained when levels of radioactivity are being measured.

The tungsten alloy can be machined to exact tolerances and produce the necessary collimators as per the customer’s specifications.

Because of its high density and superior attenuation characteristics, tungsten alloy shielding is ideal for constructing effective shields that can be placed around scanners despite their smaller size and greater compactness.

This enables the alloy to accommodate complex design requirements without sacrificing safety or operational efficiency.

– Packaging for Radioactive Materials

Due to the high density of tungsten alloy shielding, it is possible to use a significantly smaller container without making any sacrifices in terms of the effectiveness of the tungsten shielding it provides in circumstances where space is of particular concern, and compact packaging containers are required.

– Measurement and Inspection Instruments

When designers are looking for shielding materials that can be used in small spaces, including around pipelines where gas or liquid through-flow needs to be monitored, tungsten shielding is the ideal solution.

Because it is sixty percent denser than lead, tungsten alloy can be used to create smaller components that can easily fit into confined spaces without sacrificing the effectiveness of the shielding.

– Cameras that are resistant to radiation

Shielding the microchips that sequence the digital images is essential when CCTV cameras are used in potentially dangerous environments such as hot cells.

When used for this purpose, tungsten alloy shielding is made to guarantee the production of reliable diagnostic images, which contributes to the continued protection of the plant.

– Tungsten used to make pig

In medical applications, a circular vessel known as the pig is used. It is used to store syringes and radioisotopes and secures them by acting as a shield from external radiation. Pigs are made of tungsten alloy or sometimes lead and are used to aid in radiation shielding.

Related post: What Role does Tungsten Play in Medical Diagnostic Imaging?

Tungsten offers better radiation shielding properties, durability, cost-effectiveness and better performance. The use of solid tungsten to make syringe shields and vial transport containers are also widely prevalent.

Testing that is not destructive, it is essential to test certain:

• Materials
• Products
• Engineering structures
• Buildings

Without affecting their properties or affecting how useful they are. This can be a challenge. Radiography, which employs a radioisotope or X-ray source, is what is Non-destructive testing (NDT), performed in a variety of different ways.

The nuclear & petrochemical industry and assembly lines that test consumer goods, make extensive use of nondestructive testing (NDT) radiography.

Before leaving the factory, castings made of light Tungsten alloy shielding, like those used for automobile wheels, go through a quality inspection.

Pipelines, are excellent candidates for nondestructive testing, during the installation process and maintenance, to ensure the integrity of the welds.

Final thought

Because of Tungsten radiation shielding’s superiority and attenuation properties, tungsten shields can have a thinner profile. This does not affect their intended function of protecting the tungsten shield against gamma and x-ray radiation.

Get in touch with Agescan International Inc. to learn more about tungsten radiation shielding applications.