A new radiation shielding material: Amethyst ore

This paper describes a new radiation shielding material, amethyst ore. We have determined the elemental composition of amethyst using WDXRF spectroscopy technique. To see the shielding capability of amethyst for several photon energies, these results have been used in simulation process by FLUKA Monte Carlo radiation transport code. Linear attenuation coefficients have been calculated according to the simulation results. Then, these values have been compared to a fine shielding concrete material. The results show that amethyst shields more gamma beams than concrete. This investigation is the first study about the radiation shielding properties of amethyst ore.