Lightweight polyester fabric with elastomeric bismuth titanate composite for high-performing lead-free X-ray shielding

Abstract

To protect the workers from overexposure to X-ray radiation, conventional lead (Pb)-based aprons are widely applied to many medical institutions and nuclear industries. However, these Pb-based aprons have many disadvantages such as heaviness, toxicity, and discomfort wearing experience, there is thus a strong demand for the replacement using lightweight, Pb-free, and flexible X-ray shielding materials. In this study, a new solution using a sandwich-structure composite (polyester fabric-elastomeric bismuth titanate composite-polyester fabric) is explored to develop the superior X-ray shielding materials. To demonstrate this concept, nanosized bismuth titanate (BTO) was used as an effective shielding component, which was blended with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) to form a PDMS/BTO composite. The sandwich-structure PDMS/BTO coated polyester fabric (SL-PDMS/ BTO-PES) was then fabricated using 2 × coated PES fabrics and compressed together. X-ray transmission of these SL-PDMS/BTO-PES fabrics with an average thickness at 1.1 mm was measured at 80 kVp and 100 kVp, showing 0.35 mm Pb-equivalent X-ray shielding ability. Moreover, this SL-PDMS/BTO-PES was 42% lighter than 0.35 mm Pb sheet, indicating that this lightweight and flexible sandwich-structure coated PES textile can be potentially engineered in the future for replacing the conventional Pb-vinyl X-ray shielding clothing.