Unveiling the radiation shielding efficacy of diorite, granodiorite, tonalite, and granite: experimental and simulation study M. Elsafi, M. A. El-Nahal, M. K. Alawy, Islam M. Nabil Scientific Reports, 2025 For the purpose of this study, four natural rock samples-namely, diorite, granodiorite, tonalite, and granite-are being investigated about their radiation attenuation. The elemental composition of the rocks was obtained through Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) which examines the microstructural and localized area elemental analyses of the four rock samples. A Monte Carlo simulation (MCNP) was used to determine and evaluate the investigated samples. Additionally, the samples were validated by Phy-X software (within the energy range of 0.015 to 15 MeV), and experimental measurements were achieved through the utilization of an HPGe detector (0.060, 0.662, 1.173, and 1.332 MeV). The investigation was carried out using various parameters such as linear attenuation (µ) and others. Furthermore, the Fast Neutrons Removal Cross Sections (FNRCS) were calculated using theoretical methods. In the case of granodiorite, tonalite, diorite, and granite, the values of µ were found to range from 7.931 to 0.049, 31.922 to 0.061, 17.267 to 0.060, and 23.860 to 0.056 cm−1, respectively. The samples of tonalite and diorite have the highest µ values due to the presence of heavy elements and the high densities of these samples. Granodiorite is the substance that possesses the highest value of FCS (0.108 cm−1) due to the high content of light elements (O = 0.6802%, and C = 0.2286% wt). The results of the study demonstrated that the investigated natural rocks possessed a substantial potential for shielding γ-rays and neutrons from radiation and could be suitable for use in radiological protection applications.
The utilization of Innovative, Eco-friendly recycled walls in the development of border regions’ educational buildings in Egypt Mahmoud Yasser Ouf, Mohamed Gamal El-Kaissouny, Islam M. Nabil, Mohamed M. Mahdy Scientific Reports, 2025 The construction sector plays a critical role in shaping social, economic, and environmental outcomes. It consumes about 19% of global energy and nearly half of the electricity used for building construction and operation. As a result, buildings are responsible for roughly one-third of global CO₂ emissions across their entire life cycle—from construction to operation and eventual demolition-making the sector a major driver of climate change and rising temperatures. For this reason, we argue that effective building design cannot be reduced to aesthetics or abstract concepts. It requires a holistic approach that combines thoughtful material selection, strategies to lower energy demand, and sustainable practices such as recycling. Passive design measures—such as optimizing building orientation, natural ventilation, and insulation-are particularly important because they reduce reliance on mechanical systems. In Egypt, however, external walls are still commonly built using half-brick red walls (12 cm thick), a low-cost solution with very poor thermal performance. While this practice keeps initial project costs down, it often undermines thermal comfort for residents and increases long-term energy use. In this study, we examine an alternative wall system: lightweight plastic bricks made from recycled material. These detachable blocks are compared with traditional red bricks to evaluate both the initial and operating costs. Our aim is to test whether such systems can improve indoor thermal comfort while remaining cost-effective under current and future climate conditions.
New binary and ternary SiO2 composites with Fe2O3 and Co2.74O4 and the evaluation of their γ-radiation shielding properties Ahmed M. A. El-Seidy, Mohamed S. El-Okaily, Islam M. Nabil, Amany A. Mostafa Scientific Reports, 2025 A new series of binary and ternary nanocomposites contains cobalt oxide or iron/cobalt oxides were manufactured to increase silicon dioxide $$\\gamma$$ shielding power. XRD indicated the presence of Co as Co2.74O4 (COD: 1528446) and the presence of iron as Fe3O4 (COD: 9002318 and 9005814). Using Profex, the Rietveld refinements were carried out. The Rw, Rex, x2, and Gof were 4.49, 4.34, 1.07, and 1.03, respectively, indicating good refinement parameters. XPS indicated the presence of Si ( $$\\hbox {Si}^{4+}$$ ), Fe (Fe $$_{2}$$ O $$_{3}$$ ) and cobalt ( $$\\hbox {Co}^{2+}$$ and $$\\hbox {Co}^{3+}$$ ). TEM analysis showed that all metal oxide@SBA-15 solids have characteristic and well-organized SBA-15 structures. The $$\\gamma$$ -radiation shielding for the prepared samples were investigated via the Monte-Carlo code (MCN) and Phy-X software. The results confirmed that, adding high concentrations of cobalt-oxide and hematite increases the linear attenuation significantly. The SiCoFe-3 sample, which contains the highest content of cobalt-oxide and hematite, has the best $$\\gamma$$ -radiation shielding capability among all the synthesized SiCo/SiCoFe samples.
Polyurethane-based foam composites: synthesis, structural characteristics, and radiation shielding properties Hussein Oraby, Ghada E. Hegazy, Soliman M. ElTalawy, Islam M. Nabil Scientific Reports, 2025 This study investigates the potential of pure polyurethane (PU) foam as a lightweight, cost-effective shielding material against ionizing radiation, emphasizing its adaptability for incorporating high-performance fillers. PU foam was doped with various materials, including NiO, ZnO, Cr2O3, MnO2, BaO(Fe2O3)6, and sludge (at 44.5 wt.% loading), to enhance its shielding properties. The synthesized composites were characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and X-ray Fluorescence (XRF). Radiation shielding performance was evaluated through Monte Carlo simulations (MCNP) and Phy-X software for γ-rays (0.015–15 MeV) and fast neutron attenuation (up to 11 MeV). Results showed that incorporating high-density, high-atomic-number fillers significantly improved γ-ray attenuation, with BaO(Fe2O3)6 demonstrating the highest linear attenuation coefficient. Conversely, pure PU foam effectively attenuated fast neutrons due to its high concentration of light elements. The findings highlight PU-based composites as promising materials for γ-ray and neutron shielding, particularly in X-ray protection and radiological safety applications.
