Obtaining Boron Carbide and Nitride Matrix Nanocomposites for Neutron-Shielding and Therapy Applications

Abstract

The very high capture cross-section of (epi)thermal neutrons by the boron isotope 10B makes elemental boron and its compounds and composites prospective for serving as materials intensively interacting with neutron irradiation. In their nanostructured form, boron-rich materials reveal properties that improve their radiation-performance characteristics. In this regard, new technologies have been proposed for the synthesis of nanocomposites with matrices of boron carbide B4C and hexagonal boron nitride h-BN. For the first time, boron carbide-tungsten and hexagonal boron nitride–(iron,magnetite) composites were obtained, respectively, in the form of layered/sandwich structures of components B4C and W and h-BN nanopowders coated/intercalated with magnetic nanoclusters of iron Fe or magnetite Fe3O4. Studying of their chemical/phase composition, structure/morphology, and some other properties leads to the conclusion that the developed B4C–W and h-BN–(Fe,Fe3O4) composites would be useful for solving important problems of boron-based neutron shielding and BNCT (Boron Neutron Capture Therapy), such as attenuating the gamma-radiation accompanying the absorption of neutrons by 10B nuclei and targeted delivery of 10B nuclei, as BNCT therapeutic agents, to tumor tissues using control by an external magnetic field, respectively.