Introduction
Cleaver Scientific fabricates a range of products for use in laboratory experiments where protection from radiation is required. While we offer these products, the raw materials we use are not manufactured by us, so we do not specify the level of protection they give, and all uses must be evaluated by the customer for safety.
Beta-radiation
β-emitting radioactive isotopes can be blocked by simple acrylic plastic, our β shields and boxes use 10 mm acrylic which will absorb all β associated with P32 work.
Gamma-radiation
Standard acrylic is not sufficient for blocking gamma radiation. In our gamma-protection products, we use lead-infused acrylic, which carries a specific lead equivalence value. The material is transparent with a very light brown tint, exhibiting virtually all the normal chemical and physical properties of conventional acrylic. The lead content is 30% wt/wt and is chemically introduced into the acrylic resin as an organolead salt.
These products are available in a range of thicknesses for different levels of protection, see the table below for a comparison.
| Type | Physical Thickness | Lead Equivalent[1] |
|---|---|---|
| H8 | 8.5mm ±0.7mm | 0.3mm |
| H12 | 12mm ±1mm | 0.5mm |
| H18 | 18mm ±1mm | 0.8mm |
| H22 | 22mm ±2mm | 1.1mm |
| H35 | 35mm ±2mm | 1.5mm |
| H46 | 46mm ±3mm | 2.2mm |
| H70 | 70mm ±3mm | 3.0mm |