Using Gamma-Rays to Determine the Homogeneity of Alloy (Al-Mn) Grafted by some Oxides

Abstract

This research includes preparing samples of composite materials by using casting sand and hand mixing to disperse particles oxides such as (Al2O3) and (ZnO and (NiO) in the substrate of bases alloy (Al-Mn). We also use a narrow collimated mono-energetic beam of gamma-rays emitted from the decay of 137Cs (0.662 keV) and a gamma spectrometer UCS-20 connected with a NaI(Tl) detector to determine the homogeneity of the materials (Al-Mn), (Al-Mn)+Al2O3,(Al-Mn)+ZnO,(Al-Mn)+NiO. The homogeneity test was determined from the percentage variations between the transmitted energy, the intensity of gamma-rays, and the linear attenuation coefficient at seven positions for each sample and the percentage of the standard deviation. The linear attenuation coefficients for the above samples were determined, the highest average values obtained 0.251 mm-1 for (Al-Mn)+ZnO and the lowest average values obtained 0.151 mm-1 for (Al-Mn)+NiO. It can be seen from the present results that the materials (Al-Mn), (Al-Mn)+Al2O3, (Al-Mn)+ZnO have a good homogeneity as compared with (Al-Mn)+NiO. The linear attenuation coefficient of (Al-Mn)+ZnO sample was higher than its values in some materials used as gamma-radiation protection shields.