Gamma radiation shielding characteristics of Poly Tantalum Ethoxide and Poly Tantalum Isopropoxide

The increasing demand for effective, lightweight, and environmentally benign alternatives to conventional lead-based radiation shielding materials has stimulated interest in tantalum-containing polymers for gamma radiation protection. In this study, the gamma radiation shielding characteristics of Poly Tantalum Ethoxide (PTE) and Poly Tantalum Isopropoxide (PTIP) are systematically investigated. These organometallic polymers incorporate tantalum, a high-atomic-number element (Z = 73), within a polymeric framework, offering enhanced photon attenuation while retaining the advantages of polymeric materials such as flexibility, processability, and chemical stability. The results indicate that both PTE and PTIP exhibit significantly improved gamma-ray attenuation compared to conventional organic polymers, primarily due to the high tantalum content and uniform molecular-level distribution of the heavy element. Comparatively, Poly Tantalum Ethoxide demonstrates slightly superior shielding efficiency, attributed to its relatively compact molecular structure and higher effective density, while Poly Tantalum Isopropoxide shows comparable performance with potential advantages in processability. The findings highlight the strong structure-property relationship between ligand chemistry and radiation shielding effectiveness.