Polymer nanocomposites containing β‐Bi2O3 and silica nanoparticles: Thermal stability, surface topography and X‐ray attenuation properties

Silicone polymer‐based nanocomposites containing β‐Bi2O3 nanoparticles with varying concentrations of silica nanoparticles are successfully prepared and characterized for thermal stability, surface topography, and X‐ray attenuation property. Of all the samples studied here, silicone polymer of higher density (S1) containing β‐Bi2O3 (50 wt%) and silica (0.025 wt%) nanoparticles is found to be thermally stable upto 424 and 375°C in argon and oxygen atmosphere, respectively. The atomic force microscopy image of top and cleaved surface of this nanocomposite exhibits an average roughness of 12 and 506 nm, respectively. It also exhibits the highest X‐ray attenuation property, among the samples analyzed here, against X‐rays of energies in the range of 30–66 keV. Therefore, S1 silicone polymer containing β‐Bi2O3 and silica (0.025 wt%) nanoparticles is a potential material for the development of lead‐free and X‐ray opaque aprons, gloves, thyroid collar, gonad shield, and so on. Nanocomposites for diagnostic X‐ray shielding