Conventional radiation protection systems are heavy and opaque.

This is prohibitive for applications where lightweight and visibility are essential for navigation, fuel conservation and safety. 

There is hence an essential need for light-weight composite and thinner coating material solutions with higher radiation shielding effectiveness.

Scientific studies unanimously show, that radiation shielding with nanoparticles is much more effective than with micro-particles. As the nanoparticle size decreases, the radiation shielding capacity increases. When such nanoparticles are infused in a coating, only a thin layer is needed to shield thermal neutrons.

WHY QUANTUM MATERIALS?

Quantum materials are (nano)material systems with at least one dimension well below 20 nm (0.02 um). They are capable of offering significantly higher radiaition shielding capacity, at lower doses, to enable the manufacture of lightweight composites and see-through or transparent radiation attenuation coatings.

In composites, quantum materials are more effective at radiation attenuation than larger particles, and are able to do so with less weight penalty. The filling effect of quantum material particles in the porous region of composite systems is also more efficient and denser per unit area, in comparison with micronised fillers. 

This results in higher macroscopic absoprtion cross-section relative to micronised fillers in the order of at least 20 - 40 %. The superior radiation attenuation capacity of quantum nanomaterials increases with the weight percent load of the nanofiller in coatings and composite systems but these loadings however, are significantly lower than those of micronised particles.

The use of nanofillers in the form of quantum material nanoparticles within composite materials and coatings hence help strengthen the composites and coatings whilst also conferring a higher radiaition shielding effect. This keeps the coatings thin, tranparent and versatile and the weight of composite absorbers to a minimum value. 

This is particularly vital in aerospace applications, where weight is curcial and radiation protection is essential. This holds true for astronauts of spacecrafts, aviation crews, frequent flyers and onboard electronics exposed to high neutron radiation doses because at typical cruising altitudes, radiation fluxes are several hundred times higher than those on the ground with the dominant hazard to humans and equipment arising from energetic neutrons.