Study of ethylene propylene diene monomer-lead monoxide-magnetite composites in radioactive waste disposal

In this study, ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM)-lead monoxide (PbO)-magnetite (Fe₃O₄) composite was prepared and changes in its properties with different gamma irradiation doses (50, 100, 200, 300, 500, and 1000 kGy) were investigated. Characterizations of irradiated EPDM-metal oxide composites were performed by X-ray Diffractometer (XRD), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) and Universal Testing Machine (UTM). It was observed that the synthesized sample shows an amorphous nature beyond the 500 kGy irradiation dose. The FESEM morphographs of irradiated samples show an increase in fracture size with an increase in irradiation dose. The mechanical tests have shown that prepared samples retain their mechanical strength up to ∼100 kGy. In addition, the effect of thermal and electrical properties on irradiation dose has also been studied. The synthesized samples show good thermal stability up to ∼500 kGy. The AC conductivity of the synthesized EPDM-metal oxide composites has been observed to increase slightly with an increase in irradiation dose. It was observed that synthesized EPDM-metal oxide composites are relatively good radiation resistant candidates and can be used for radioactive waste disposal management applications.