Attenuation Calculator
NPO’s Radiation Shielding Attenuation Calculator is a quick and free tool for you to use to accurately determine the optimal shielding material and thickness to achieve the desired level of protection.
Our Scientists at NPO have used their knowledge and expertise to develop the attenuation calculator to provide highly accurate attenuation data for various shielding materials, including NPO’s T-Flex products. The attenuation calculator was built utilizing the Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) code to simulate the interaction of radiation with different shielding materials and densities.
| Material | Density Metric | Density Imperial | Metric Weight per unit Area | Imperial Weight per unit Area | CS-137 Attenuation Low | CS-137 Attenuation High | Co-60 Attenuation Low | Co-60 Attenuation High | Fission Neutrons | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Material | %Attenuation | |||||||||||||||
| Material | Density | Weight Per Unit Area | Cs-137 (662 keV) | Co-60 (1,250 keV) | Fission Neutrons | |||||||||||
| Material | g/cm3 | lb/in3 | g/cm2 | lb/ft2 | Low | High | Low | High | Avg | |||||||
| Solid Lead | 11.32 | 0.4090 | ||||||||||||||
| T-Flex® Tungsten | 7.0 | 0.2529 | ||||||||||||||
| T-Flex® Bismuth | 4.4 | 0.1590 | ||||||||||||||
| T-Flex® Neutron | 2.6 | 0.0939 | ||||||||||||||
| Solid Tungsten | 18 | 0.6503 | ||||||||||||||
| Steel | 7.6 | 0.2746 | ||||||||||||||
| Water | 1.0 | 0.0361 | ||||||||||||||
| Borated Poly | 1.0 | 0.0361 | ||||||||||||||
| Concrete | 2.2 | 0.0795 | ||||||||||||||
| T-Flex® Boron | 1.1 | 0.0397 | ||||||||||||||
Notes:
- Calculations made using Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP)
- Low = point source, concentric spherical shielding surrounding
- High = Slab source, Flat layers on top of source
- Lead Wool blanket to solid lead conversion – 10 lb/ft2 = 0.170 inches, 15 lb/ft2 = 0.254 inches
Additional information on shielding materials attenuation properties can be found in the following white papers, written by our lead scientist Daniel R. McAlister, Ph.D.
“Gamma Ray Attenuation Properties of Common Shielding Materials”
“Neutron Attenuation Properties of Common Shielding Materials”
At NPO, we are committed to providing our customers with the most accurate attenuation data and designing the most effective radiation shielding. Please contact us to further discuss your specific shielding application needs.
Interested in learning more about our products?
Send us a message via our contact form, and we’ll answer any questions you may have.
