KURARAY has developed a protective sheet for X-ray without using lead in collaboration with SAKAI OVEX. A protective sheet for X-ray is used to reduce the radiation exposure of the device operators by shadowing leaked X-ray from diagnostic apparatus. Since a protective sheet should be flexible, a rubber sheet containing lead powder is used. A newly developed protective sheet is made of a silicon resin as a base material with bismuth compound kneaded in, so that the sheet has the same shielding effect for X-ray as a rubber-sheet with lead. By selecting a proper silicon resin, a sheet could be flexible and has an excellent workability. A sheet is planned to apply for a shielding curtain at the bottom of the X-ray radiation apparatus or an apron an X-ray operator in the medical field, but eventually to expand the application to other fields of X-ray related facilities including non-destructive inspection, airport inspection and atomic energy plants.

JCFA News Letter (No.7) February, 2014/Japan Chemical Fibers Association