Lead is highly effective in providing protection from many sources of radiation. It is used as the primary material for radiation shielding. Its high density makes it one of the preferred materials for high energy radiation applications like x-rays, gamma rays and other nuclear radiation.

Since lead has an extremely low level of neutron absorption and practically no gamma radiation, it cannot become radioactive. Even after long exposure to neutrons, lead emits an insignificant amount of radiation due to activation.

Lead may not be the densest metal, but it is the standard used in radiation shielding because it is readily available, easily fabricated and its cost is lower than other high-density materials.

Properties of Lead for Radiation Shielding

Lead is an excellent shielding material because of its following properties:

    It has high density.

    It has a high atomic number.

    It has a high level of stability.

    It is easy to fabricate.

    It has a high degree of flexibility in application.

    It is readily available.

Lead is primarily used as a radiation shield for:

    Containers for radioactive materials

    X-ray machines

    Nuclear plants

    Laboratories

    Military equipment

Personal shielding includes:

    Lead aprons

    Thyroid shields

    Lead gloves

Good Lead for Radiation Shielding – Medi-Ray™, Inc.

Medi-RayTM has been providing customers with over 35 years of metallurgy expertise in custom and precision lead shielding products produced with proprietary equipment. For all your radiation shielding needs, call us at 877-898-3003 or email us at sales@mediray.com.