Manufacturing, Structural Characterization, and Radiation Interaction Evaluation of Lightweight 6061-Al/Ytterbium(III) Oxide Composites with Emphasis on Gamma-Ray Shielding and Fast Neutron Removal Potential
NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY, cilt.212, sa.9, ss.2439-2455, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 212 Sayı: 9
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1080/00295450.2025.2521954
- Dergi Adı: NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Applied Science & Technology Source, Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Engineering Source (EBSCO), Scopus, Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Compendex, INSPEC
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.2439-2455
- Eskişehir Osmangazi Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Abstract — In this study, 6061-aluminum metal matrix composites doped with varying concentrations of ytterbium(III) oxide were synthesized using high-energy mechanical alloying to evaluate their structural, physical, and radiation shielding properties. X-ray diffraction confirmed the retention of the aluminum crystal structure with no secondary phase formation, while scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy revealed homogenous dispersion of Yb 2 O 3 particles within the matrix. With increasing Yb 2 O 3 content, particle densification and structural integrity were significantly enhanced. Gamma-ray and neutron shielding performance was assessed through theoretical modeling and Monte Carlo simulations. At low photon energy, the 20 wt% Yb 2 O 3 composites showed a remarkable increase in linear attenuation coefficients compared to the undoped 6061-aluminum matrix. Neutron removal efficiency also increased by 32% at the highest Yb 2 O 3 content. It can be concluded that Yb incorporation significantly improves both the photon and neutron shielding performance of the 6061-aluminum metal matrix. 2 O 3 Keywords — 6061-aluminum composites, ytterbium oxide, radiation shielding, mechanical alloying,