Tungsten alloy shielding is a radioactive material shielding device made of high-density tungsten alloy as the core material. It is an environmentally friendly radiation protection device and is mainly used in medical radiotherapy, nuclear industry radioactive source storage, geological exploration, and aerospace. Its density reaches 16.5-19.0g/cm³. It achieves efficient attenuation of X-rays, gamma rays, and radioactive particles through its high-density physical properties. Compared with traditional lead materials, it has the advantages of being non-toxic, small in size (only 1/3 the thickness of lead), and corrosion-resistant. This product can be divided into two categories: syringe shielding and shielding cans, including specific forms such as collimators, protective cans, and multi-leaf grating blades. The core process uses powder mixing, pressing, and vacuum sintering technology to enhance the density and mechanical strength of the material. Typical application scenarios include medical PET equipment, radiopharmaceutical injection protection, CT scanner radiation shielding, cancer treatment equipment precision beam control, and nuclear power plant radioactive material transportation and storage.
How Tungsten Alloy Shielding Works
Tungsten alloy shielding cans offer excellent shielding effectiveness against radioactive materials due to their high density. Research has shown that the metal's high density provides excellent radiation shielding, and that the shielding effectiveness increases with increasing density. Therefore, tungsten alloy shielding cans offer excellent shielding effectiveness.
Comparison of Shielding Materials
Among existing metals, lead and tungsten alloys have relatively high densities. Metallic lead was used relatively early, but its long-term use has exposed several issues. Lead itself and its compounds are toxic to all tissues in the human body. Poisoning can occur through inhalation of lead vapor or dust, which is then rapidly transported to the bloodstream by phagocytes in the respiratory tract, or through absorption through the digestive tract, where it enters the bloodstream and causes poisoning. Poisoned individuals typically have a history of exposure to lead or lead compounds. Oral exposure to 2-3 grams can cause poisoning, and 50 grams can be fatal. Relevant departments are actively researching alternatives to lead and are gradually phasing out its use. Against this backdrop, tungsten is gaining increasing attention. High-density tungsten alloys are commonly used in shielding products. Tungsten alloys are not only dense but also non-toxic and harmless.
Compared to lead, tungsten alloys exhibit more environmentally friendly properties. Tungsten itself is non-toxic and does not emit radioactive substances. Furthermore, tungsten alloys are easy to process and are abundant in reserves.
Tungsten shielding classification
Syringe Shields
Tungsten alloy syringe shields are made from tungsten alloy and are used as medical devices to protect against the injection of radioactive drugs. Tungsten alloy syringe shields utilize the high-density tungsten alloy's shielding properties against radioactive particles. With a density of 16.5-19.0 g/cm³, tungsten alloy offers excellent shielding effectiveness against radioactive particles. Tungsten alloy syringe shields are often used in medical applications for isotope tracing to monitor drug efficacy. By utilizing the nuclear physics properties of radioactive isotopes, which continuously emit characteristic radiation, nuclear detectors can track their location, quantity, and transformation within or outside the body. While stable isotopes do not emit radiation, their mass difference with their corresponding stable isotopes can be used to measure them using mass spectrometers, gas chromatographs, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) instruments, and other mass analyzers. If radioactive substances irradiate or enter the human body, they can cause cellular damage, potentially endangering life. Tungsten alloy syringe shields can protect the body from harm when using radioactive substances.
Tungsten Alloy Shielding Cans
Tungsten alloy shielding cans are a type of tungsten alloy shielding component used in medical applications to contain radiopharmaceuticals. Radiopharmaceuticals are specialized drugs containing radionuclides for medical diagnosis and treatment. These are compounds or biological agents labeled with radionuclides used for in vivo medical diagnosis or treatment. Examples include pure beta-ray-emitting radioactive therapeutic drugs such as 32P, 89Sr, and 90Y. Tungsten alloy shielding cans are primarily used to shield medical radioactive injections, pharmaceuticals, and radioactive source materials such as X-rays and gamma rays. They are also used to shield radioactive materials in geological exploration and other applications.
Production Process for Tungsten Alloy Shielding
Sintering is the primary production process for tungsten alloy shielding. Sintering is a heat treatment process. The strength and density of the compact or bulk powder are very low. To improve the strength of the compact or bulk powder, heat treatment under appropriate conditions is necessary. This involves heating the compact or bulk powder to a temperature below the melting point of its constituent components (approximately 0.7-0.8°F absolute melting point) and maintaining it at this temperature. This allows the powder particles to bond and improve their properties.
Sintering has a crucial impact on the performance of tungsten alloy shielding. Sintering results in bonding between powder particles, increasing the strength and, in most cases, density of the sintered body. During the sintering process, the compact undergoes a series of physical and chemical changes, beginning with the evaporation or volatilization of water or organic matter, the removal of adsorbed gases, the relief of stress, and the reduction of oxides on the powder particle surface. This is followed by atomic diffusion, adhesive and plastic flow, an increase in the contact surface between particles, recrystallization, and grain growth.
