The effectiveness in neutron attenuation of an innovative composite material for neutron shielding has been investigated in comparison with a conventional neutron shielding material – paraffin. For this purpose a set of calculations were performed and validated with adequate measurements. The Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) computer code was used for these calculations. The measurements were performed with a certified Pu-Be neutron source. The results from the calculations show that the innovative composite material – consisting of 30 wt.% boron carbide and 70 wt.% polyethylene – is on average 13% more effective in attenuating of neutrons than paraffin, while having much better mechanical properties.
Keywords: neutron shielding, boron carbide, MCNP, composite.