Sains Malaysiana 55(10)(2026): 1618-1625

http://doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2026-5510-02

 

Comparative Study of Chloroform and Dichloromethane Synthesized PMMA-Bismuth Nanocomposites for Enhanced X-Ray Attenuation

(Kajian Perbandingan Nanokomposit PMMA-Bismut yang Disintesis Kloroform dan Diklorometana untuk Atenuasi Sinar-X Dipertingkat)

 

WAN NORDIANA RAHMAN^1,6,*, NURUL FAZLIN SYUHADA FAZLY¹, RAIZULNASUHA AB RASHID², AML AIEDS ALMUTERY^1,3,6, KHAIRUNISAK ABDUL RAZAK⁴, ZURATUL AIN ABDUL HAMID⁴, MOHD KHALID MATORI⁵ & RATNA SUFFHIYANNI OMAR^1,6

 

¹Department of Applied Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia

²Centre for Diagnostic Nuclear Imaging, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia

³Physics Department, Faculty of Science and Humanities in Ad-Dawadmi, Shaqra Iniversity, Shaqra 11911, Saudi Arabia

⁴School of Materials and Mineral Resources Engineering, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 14300 Penang, Malaysia

⁵Malaysian Nuclear Agency, 43000 Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia

⁶Nuclear Technology Research Centre, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia

 

Received: 1 March 2026/Accepted: 10 September 2026

 

*Corresponding author; email: wnordiana@ukm.edu.my

 

Abstract

Radiation shielding is a critical component of safety protocols for protection against ionizing radiation. This study investigates the potential of Polymethyl Methacrylate (PMMA) doped with bismuth nanoparticles as a non-toxic, lead-free alternative for radiation shielding in medical diagnostics. PMMA-bismuth nanocomposites were synthesized and evaluated for their attenuation efficacy at diagnostic X-ray energies of 80 and 100 kVp. The influence of synthesis parameters specifically solvent type (chloroform and dichloromethane), solvent mass (2.5 g and 3.0 g), and bismuth nanoparticles (BiNP) loading (1%-5% wt) on shielding performance was systematically examined. Key shielding parameters, including the linear attenuation coefficient (LAC), mass attenuation coefficient (MAC), half-value layer (HVL), and tenth-value layer (TVL) were determined. Results indicate that LAC and MAC values for all samples increased proportionally with bismuth loading, while HVL and TVL values conversely decreased. The optimal shielding performance was observed in samples prepared using 2.5 g of chloroform with 5% BiNP loading at 80 kVp with the peak attenuation reached approximately 4.85 in comparison to 3.88 at 100 kVp for the same samples. These findings demonstrate that PMMA-bismuth nanocomposites are effective for diagnostic X-ray shielding and that synthesis parameters significantly influence their final attenuation properties.

Keywords: Bismuth nanoparticles; poly(methyl methacrylate); radiation shielding

 

Abstrak

Perisai sinaran merupakan komponen penting dalam protokol keselamatan bagi melindungi daripada sinaran pengion. Penyelidikan ini mengkaji potensiPolimetil Metakrilat (PMMA) yang didop dengan nanozarah bismut sebagai alternatif tidak toksik dan bebas plumbum untuk aplikasi perisai sinaran dalam diagnostik perubatan. Nanokomposit PMMA-bismut telah disintesis dan dinilai dari segi keberkesanan pelemahan sinaran pada tenaga sinar-X diagnostik iaitu 80 dan 100 kVp. Pengaruh parameter sintesis khususnya jenis pelarut (kloroform dan diklorometana), jisim pelarut (2.5 g dan 3.0 g) serta kandungan nanozarah bismut (BiNP) (1%-5% berat) terhadap prestasi perisai sinaran telah dikaji secara sistematik. Parameter utama perisai sinaran termasuk pekali pelemahan linear (LAC), pekali pelemahan jisim (MAC), lapisan separuh nilai (HVL) dan lapisan sepersepuluh nilai (TVL) telah ditentukan. Keputusan menunjukkan bahawa nilai LAC dan MAC bagi semua sampel meningkat secara berkadar dengan peningkatan kandungan bismut, manakala nilai HVL dan TVL menurun secara songsang. Prestasi perisai sinaran optimum diperoleh bagi sampel yang disediakan menggunakan 2.5 g kloroform bersama pemuatan BiNP 5% pada tenaga sinar-X 80 kVp dengan puncak pelemahan mencecah 4.85 berbanding 3.88 pada tenaga sinar-X 100 kVp untuk sampel yang sama. Keputusan ini menunjukkan bahawa nanokomposit PMMA-bismut berkesan untuk perisai sinar-X diagnostik dan parameter sintesis memainkan peranan penting dalam menentukan sifat pelemahan akhir bahan tersebut.

Kata kunci: Nanozarah bismut; perisai sinaran; poli(metil metakrilat)

 

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