RADIATION SHIELDING MATERIAL

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a radiation shielding material of light weight having heat resistance and acid resistance as a shielding material, and having a low radioactivation characteristic, in a radiation field mixed with a neutron beam and a gamma ray in a nuclear facility or the like. SOLUTION: This radiation shielding material has a shielding effect for both the neutron beam and the gamma ray by combining a heavy metal indicating high shielding effect against the neutron beam and the gamma ray of high energy, a natural porous silica material having high neutron shielding effect and a high hydrogen element content, and a thermal neutron absorbing material, is capable of controlling optionally the neutron shielding effect and the gamma ray shielding effect, by regulating a compounding ratio of the heavy metal to the thermal neutron absorbing material in the silica material, and is capable of attaining the highest shielding effect as a practical shielding material in the facility or the like for handling a fission radiation source such as a nuclear reactor. COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT