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 reactor beam of neutrons and gamma-rays. The neutrons and gamma-spectra have been measured by a scintillation spectrometer with stilbene crystal. Discrimination against undesired pulses of gamma-rays or neutrons was achieved by a zero crossover technique. The obtained data are displayed in the form of spectra and attenuation curves. The obtained results were also used to derive the total cross sections for fast neutrons and the linear attenuation coefficients for gamma-rays. Two semiempirical formulae have been derived to calculate the integral flux for fast neutrons and gamma-rays behind different thicknesses of any of the two types of concretes under investigations using the corresponding integral flux obtained for the other type. A good agreement between the calculated and the measured values was obtained.