The purpose of this study is to analyze the physico-mechanical characteristics of the Suwayqat El-Arsha area Granodiorite in the Eastern Desert of Egypt as a viable construction material and an effective natural radiation shield. The granodiorite was examined using twelve petrographic microscope thin-sections and twelve samples were analyzed via X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) for their chemical compositions. Both the physico-mechanical characteristics (density, water absorption, compressive strength, abrasion resistance, and flexural strength) were tested according to standard international test methods, ASTM. The gamma radiation shielding properties were evaluated over the energy range of 0.015-15 MeV using the Phy-X/PSD software program, which was based on the chemical composition and density values obtained from the XRF analysis. The analysis of these materials showed that they are mostly composed of silicon dioxide (SiO 2 = 68.2–71.7 wt%), and their densities range from 2.61 to 2.73 g/cm 3 with water absorption levels lower than 51%. The mechanical characteristics of these materials have been demonstrated through their mechanical properties such as compressive strength between 953 and 1146 kg/cm 2 , flexural strength between 15.2 and 27.5 MPa, abrasion resistance of 13.5–16.5 mm. As for attenuation coefficients; a decrease in linear attenuation could be seen from the beginning of 20.51 cm − 1 at 0.015 MeV until reaching 0.055 cm − 1 for 15 MeV. Subsequently, there has been an increase in half-value thickness from 0.034 cm to 12.4 cm. The effectiveness of these rocks in radiation protection was determined to be 100% at ≤ 0.03 MeV and ∼ 20% at 15 MeV. The Gd32 sample has the greatest density, mechanical properties, and shielding ability of all tested samples. The Suwayqat El-Arsha granodiorite has overall excellent structural durability and effective gamma-ray attenuation, making it an excellent alternative to traditional construction materials and radiation shielding materials, both because it is environmentally friendly and low-cost material.
Azer et al. (Sat,) studied this question.