Journal of Advanced Materials in Engineering

Journal of Advanced Materials in Engineering

Investigating the Effect of the Concentration of Silver Nanoparticles in MAGIC-f Polymer Gel on the Absorbed Dose of Gamma Rays From 241Am and 137Cs Sources

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Mozhde Nabati
Hossein Tavakoli-Anbaran
Faculty of Physics and Nuclear Engineering, Shahroud University of Technology, Shahroud, Semnan, Iran
10.47176/jame.45.4.1179
Abstract
Introduction and Objectives: This study investigated the effect of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in MAGIC-f polymer gel on the absorbed dose of gamma rays from americium-241 (241Am) and cesium-137 (137Cs) sources. The main objectives were to evaluate changes in the transmission coefficient, linear and mass attenuation coefficients, linear energy absorption, and absorbed dose for different concentrations of AgNPs, and to compare the experimental behavior with theoretical results.
Materials and Methods: MAGIC-f gel samples were prepared with 14 different concentrations of AgNPs (ranging from 0 to 1.22% by weight). After polymerization, the transmission spectra of the gels, both with and without nanoparticles, using a NaI(Tl) detector under irradiation from 241Am (59 keV) and 137Cs (662 keV) gamma-ray sources. Following background subtraction, the spectral data were used to calculate the target parameters.
Results: Experimental results showed that adding AgNPs reduced the transmission coefficient: for 241Am, it decreased from 0.895 (pure gel) to 0.810 (gel with 1.04 wt. % AgNPs), and for 137Cs, from 0.891 to 0.859. Furthermore, the linear and mass attenuation coefficients for both gamma energies exhibited an increasing trend, and the absorbed dose parameter showed a measurable increase. Theoretical calculations indicated a decrease in the transmission coefficient for 241Am from 0.745 (pure gel) to 0.670. In contrast, this parameter remained nearly constant for 137Cs in the theoretical data.
Conclusion: The findings indicate that silver nanoparticles, particularly at lower gamma energies, enhance the attenuation and absorption of gamma rays, thereby increasing the absorbed dose in the MAGIC-f polymer gel.
Keywords
MAGIC-f polymer gel
Silver nanoparticles
Gamma ray transmission coefficient
Linear attenuation coefficient of gamma rays
Absorption dose
Subjects
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Journal of Advanced Materials in Engineering
Volume 45, Issue 4
Autumn 2026
Pages 69-87

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