Leila Figueiredo de Miranda
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Antônio Hortêncio Munhoz Jr.
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Terezinha Jocelen Masson
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Virgínia Carolina Naime
◽
Gustavo Camargo Costa
The properties of composites based on thermosetting polyester and barite for
use in the radiological protection area have been investigated with the objective to study
the effect of different variables in the attainment of composites. To verify the efficiency
of the composites produced in relation to radiological protection, lead was adopted as
reference. A factorial experimental design was carried out and the studied variables
were: type of polyester resin (orthophthalic or isophthalic), coupling agent (titanate or
organosilane) and the ratio of resin to accelerator, catalyst and barite. The variables
analyzed were: efficiency for barring the X-radiation, apparent density and mechanical
properties. The effect, obtained from the experimental design, due to ratio of resin to
barite in the apparent density was 0.036. The average apparent density of the samples
produced with barite/resin value equal 2.0 (weight ratio) was 2.16g/cm3, while the
average density of the samples produced with the weight ratio of barite/resin equal 3.0
was 2.2g/cm3. It was observed same trend for the density to mechanical properties. It
was observed that the samples attenuated X-ray radiation adequately up to 116 kV.