A Japanese printing company has developed a kind of paper that can shield radiation. Compared with lead, the paper is thinner but has the same shielding ability. It’s also easier to process, and it can be applied to medical, construction and so on.

It is understood that the standard thickness of this paper is 0.3 mm, and the proportion of tungsten on the paper is about 80%. The printing company is the first company in the world to mix high-density tungsten with paper, which makes full use of tungsten properties of radiation shielding. It can be cut or folded like ordinary paper, and at the same time it produces less negative effects on environment. 

 

 

Lead has insurmountable shortcomings as shielding material. For example, it will produce second bremsstrahlung, and lead itself is heavy metal pollution source, which is likely to cause heavy metal poisoning when being used. Compared with the same weight lead shield, the tungsten shield has only 1/3 lead in volume, but high density makes it have the equivalent ray absorption capacity of lead. Therefore, tungsten metal is the main material to be the radiation shielding paper. The paper is harmless to human. One piece of that paper can block 50% of medical X light, and 3 folded will shield radiation equivalent to 0.25 millimeters of lead.

 

The company said the paper could be used in various areas, such as protective clothing for radiation, radiation shielding walls and curtains, etc. With the rapid development of science and technology, tungsten will be more widely used in life for its excellent comprehensive performances.