Montreal: 
Nuclear radiation is not something that anyone wants to be exposed to, even for a couple of seconds. Unfortunately, this radiation is extremely powerful and is capable of passing through the walls of most houses and buildings. That is why it is helpful to have nuclear shielding, which can help to keep the harmful radiation outside.
But in order to make sure that you are protected, you need to know what mass of radiation shielding that you should be using. In order to successfully meet the radiation protection standard of today’s products, this shielding would need to allow a maximum of 1/1,000 of gamma rays through.
Depending on how good a certain material is at blocking out gamma rays, this could mean that you would require either very little or a lot of shielding mass in order to fully protect yourself. Here are some examples of the best options out there.
Aluminum
Although there is a wide range of materials that you could use as nuclear shielding, metal is generally the best option. That is why aluminum is so highly recommended for this task.
Depending on the specific quality of the aluminum that is being used, you will likely need approximately 19 inches of aluminum material between you and the source of the nuclear radiation in order to remain safe from the gamma rays. However, some people may find it difficult or undesirable to put together over a foot-and-a-half of aluminum mass, which is why they might be interested in some other far more efficient metal materials.
Steel
When it comes to being used as radiation shielding, steel is better for a couple of different reasons. The first benefit is that it is usually cheaper to purchase steel compared to aluminum. Therefore, you will not be spending a fortune in order to build some radiation shielding.
The other reason why this is a better material to use is that it has a much higher protection factor. It generally only takes about 10 inches of steel in order to prevent harmful amounts of gamma rays from coming through.
Lead
By far the best material out there is lead. This type of metal is so effective at blocking out gamma rays that it only takes approximately 4 inches of lead radiation shielding in order to meet the recommended standard for nuclear radiation protection. This is less than half of the amount of steel that would be required, which is much more reasonable to achieve.
If you are interested in getting your own lead radiation shielding or other types of shielding masses from nuclear radiation, then you can find your preferred products over at Canada Metal.
Also Read: Are There Safer Substitutes to Lead-Based Radiation Shielding Material?
