What radiation shielding protection do Ecomass Compounds provide compared to lead?
For typical energy levels of X-rays, Ecomass Compounds provide a lead shielding equivalency of over 90%. For the vast majority of medical radioisotopes, Ecomass Compounds provide an essentially equivalent level of gamma ray and beta particle shielding compared to lead. Certain Ecomass Compounds have been evaluated for higher energy level radioisotopes such as Co-60 and N-16 and have been found to exceed the shielding capacity of lead. A new Ecomass Compound has recently been developed that is lighter than lead, yet provides essentially the same shielding capacity. This compound, Ecomass Compound 1050ZB92, has a density of 6.9 g/cc making it ideal for shipping containers, syringe shields, collimators, flood source shielding and many other applications. A formulation that will attenuate both gamma radiation and neutrons has been developed and is currently being tested.
