Lightweight radiation-proof fabric unveiled

New Scientist ^ | 11-15-02 | Marina Murphy

[John Farson]

The world's first lightweight radiation-proof fabric has been developed by a US company.

Called Demron, its potential applications range from lightweight full-body suits - which would allow the wearer to move unencumbered in high-radiation areas - to protective tents and radiation-proof linings for aircraft and spacecraft.

Traditional shielding relies on the presence of heavy metals, such as lead. But Demron is based on a polymer that mimics some of the electronic properties of these heavy metals, says John Hefler of Radiation Shield Technologies, the company in Miami, Florida, that is developing the material.

Its inventors claim that it provides protection comparable to the nuclear industry's standard-issue lead vest, blocking alpha, beta, gamma radiation and X-rays. Traditional protective clothing only protects against alpha radiation.

Electron cloud

Heavy metals have large atoms, and so have large numbers of electrons. When the particles that make up alpha and beta radiation collide with these electrons, they slow down, and are absorbed by the material.

The helium nuclei that make up alpha radiation have so little energy that almost any physical barrier can stop them. Gamma rays and X-rays are highly penetrating forms of electromagnetic radiation, which can only be stopped if the electrons in a shield's material can absorb enough of their energy.

Demron consists of a polyethylene and PVC-based polymer fused between two layers of a woven fabric. The polymer molecule has been designed so that incoming radiation will meet a large electron cloud, which will deflect or absorbed it.

"The molecules are lined up to give the illusion of the presence of large atoms," says Hefler. The electrons are capable of deflecting beta radiation or absorbing the energy of alpha radiation and X-rays.

The nuclear industry is still reserving judgement on the new material. "The potential usefulness of the fabric will depend on the level of protection it offers against gamma and X-rays, and how it reacts and degrades when subjected to radiation," says Janine Claber of British Nuclear Fuels.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Sounds like a farce to me.

[Thinkin' Gal]

Demron consists of a polyethylene and PVC-based polymer fused between two layers of a woven fabric. The polymer molecule has been designed so that incoming radiation will meet a large electron cloud, which will deflect or absorbed it.

Bad news for Reynolds?

[fone]

Good, this durn thing is too heavy for practical use:

[calljack]

I want the inventor and the salesman to do a live demo. Walk around a radiation source for an hour wearing the thing
and I'll take a look.

[coloradan]

B.S. A large electron cloud doesn't stop high-energy particles, rather a dense cloud does. Charge neutrality requires that clouds very dense in electrons are also dense in protons ... that is, that the material have a high atomic number, such as lead. Carbon's atomic number is only 6, meaning each atom brings along 6 electrons. Lead's atomic number is 82, more than 13 times higher. If large electron clouds stopped high-energy particles, graphite, with electron clouds the size of the entire sample, would be completely opaque to such particles. But it isn't.

[VRWC_minion]

Does this mean that someone entering the US with a suitcase bomd covered with the material is undectable ?

[fone]

||| "The molecules are lined up to give the illusion of the presence of large atoms" |||

Oh I get it! It just dupes those nasty old gamma rays into thinking it can't penetrate! Har!

Hey, by the way, isn't the correct spelling of your screename John FARCE-on?

=-)

[fone]

||| I want the inventor and the salesman to do a live demo. |||

I suppose you want him to also survive afterwards?

[demlosers]

Can they make a hat out of it? I've been looking to replace my tin-foil.

[Revolting cat!]

Dude, what I wanna know, does it shield your brain from electromagnetic psychotronic mind control carriers, the way plain old household aluminum foil does?

[fone]

||| Can they make a hat out of it?|||

Just a hat??? Get the entire outfit!

[Rebelbase]

Is this company owned by Ponds and Fliechman?

[hauerf]

"Sounds like a farce to me."

Indeed, and the company site has a slightly crocky atmosphere. All hype. No detail.

[Pontiac]

Its inventors claim that it provides protection comparable to the nuclear industry's standard-issue lead vest, blocking alpha, beta, gamma radiation and X-rays. Traditional protective clothing only protects against alpha radiation.

In nearly 20 years in the nuclear power industry I have never seen anyone wear a lead vest. I have only seen them used in the nuclear medicine field.

We do use quite a lot of lead blankets. If they could be replaced by this kind of fabric it would make a great deal of work much easier.

But as it says at the bottom of the article how it reacts and degrades when subjected to radiation will determine if it is adopted by the industry. If its life span is only a mater of weeks or months, few in the industry will want to expend money to purchase such a product.

[fone]

I'm sure they have the law firm of
Dewey, Screwem and Howe
on retainer....

[Rebelbase]

Ben Dover is in that firm, I believe.

[fuente]

The 10th thickness (how much of a material is needed to reduce incoming radiation to 1/10 of its original value) for polyethylene is 24 inches! Alpha radiation is stopped by the dead layers of the skin, and Beta radiation is stopped by clothing. PuuuuuLEASE!

[Jason Kauppinen]

Here's a link

http://www.radshield.com/research.html