Ga–In–Sn–Bi Alloys for radiation shielding application: Investigation of the structures, morphologies, and x-ray attenuation performances

Low-melting-point Ga–In–Sn–Bi alloys were synthesized using the organic solvent melting process for low-energy X-ray shielding. The existence of a liquid Ga-rich phase gives the alloys a low-melting point, and the Ga phase is distributed along the boundaries of other phases so that the alloy shows a regular organization similar to that of a biological cells distribution. The X-ray experiment confirms that the molten Ga2In2Sn5Bi1 alloy can be coated at room temperature with good adhesion, continuity, and electrical conductivity and its coating has an effective photon absorption capability. Afterward, to evaluate the photon attenuation ability of Ga–In–Sn–Bi alloys, radiation attenuation parameters were determined using MCNPX simulation and the Phy-X procedure. The Ga–In–Sn–Bi alloys exhibit better photon shielding performance than Pb in the 30–80 keV photon energy range and significantly reduce in weight that Pb under the same shielding conditions. The low-temperature coating and low-energy photon shielding properties of Ga–In–Sn–Bi alloys give them great application potential in the field of shielding coating.