Non-Destructive Testing / Radiography Shielding
Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) / Radiography Shielding Overview
Gamma source radiography often produces dose rates that exceed acceptable limits for non-rad workers and thus require a large exclusion zone. The creation of exclusion zones in a refinery, power plant, or other industrial setting where multiple operations are happening in close proximity means work stoppage. Gamma source shielding can be used to reduce the size of the exclusion zone, allowing operations to continue without loss of productivity. It also decreases the total radiation exposure to radiography technicians.
T-Flex Bismuth is the best material for radiography shielding. It provides more attenuation per pound than lead and T-Flex Tungsten, Se-75 shielding and Ir-192 shielding and is comparable when shielding a Co-60 source. NPO offers shielding blankets and guide tube shields specifically designed for radiography applications as well as made to order custom pieces for radiography equipment.
Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) / Radiography Overview
T-Flex shielding suspends high Z materials such as tungsten and bismuth in a polymer matrix to create radiation shielding that is non-toxic, flexible, and infinitely customizable. T-Flex was created to address some of the limitations and challenges of traditional lead shielding. The mixture of high Z material powder and polymer matrix provides both gamma and neutron attenuation. Since T-Flex is a liquid poured at room temperature, and subsequently solidified by curing, it can be made to virtually any shape and allows embedding of magnets, handles, or other specialty hardware. Its flexibility, non-toxic (no lead) composition, and surface finish allow it to be easily trimmed for field fitting and cleaned for decontamination. T-Flex can withstand higher temperatures than lead wool blankets. It is the best option for most industrial shielding applications.
NPO invented T-Flex over 20 years ago and manufactures it in our facility in Lisle, IL. It has since been deployed by dozens of Nuclear Power Plants, DOE facilities, and Naval Shipyards around the world.
Radiography Applications
- February 20, 2024
Radiography Shielding
Radiography is a non-destructive testing (NDT) technique that uses a radioactive source to detect flaws or defects in the internal structures, typically pipes. This testing process requires an “exclusion...