INVESTIGATION OF HEMATITE-SERPENTINE AND ILMENITE-LIMONITE CONCRETES FOR REACTOR RADIATION SHIELDING

This work is concerned with the study of the attenuation properties of hematite-serpentine and ilmenite-limonite concretes for fast neutrons and gamma-rays. Investigations were carried out using a collimated re actor beam of neutrons and gamma-rays. The neutrons and gamma-spectra have been measured by a scintillation spectrometer with stilbene cryst al. Discrimination against undesired pulses of gamma-rays or neutrons was achieved by a zero crossover technique. The obtained data are disp layed in the form of spectra and attenuation curves. The obtained resu lts were also used to derive the total cross sections for fast neutron s and the linear attenuation coefficients for gamma-rays. Two semiempi rical formulae have been derived to calculate the integral flux for fa st neutrons and gamma-rays behind different thicknesses of any of the two types of concretes under investigations using the corresponding in tegral flux obtained for the other type. A good agreement between the calculated and the measured values was obtained.