Flexible X/Gamma ray shielding composite material of EPDM rubber with bismuth trioxide: Mechanical, thermal investigations and attenuation tests

Mechanical tests result of non-irradiated and irradiated EPDM samples with 0 and 30% bismuth trioxide content show that bismuth trioxide content considerably affects the tensile properties. DSC and DMA analysis show that Tg increased with bismuth trioxide addition. The gel-content of the non-irradiated and irradiated EPDM compound was determined with Soxhlet extraction method and obtained result shown the gel-content was changed with the irradiation dose. Moreover, the effect of bismuth trioxide addition on radiation attenuation of EPDM composite was tested. Attenuation ratio from 68.6 to 94% were obtained for samples with different EPDM composite material thickness values.