Recycling Against Radiation

By Zane Vandivere and George French

 Problem
- Safety = Success
- Current methods are expensive and problematic
- Secondary radiation is just as harmful

Retrieved from phys.org Retrieved from nasa.gov

 Why radiation shielding?
- We both found an interest in astrophysics
- Radiation is an important obstacle to overcome for future space missions to
succeed
- We also wanted to benefit the environment

Retrieved from 123rf.com

What kinds of radiation are
we dealing with?

Retrieved from https://www.nasa.gov/

 Existing Methods
Active Shielding Passive Shielding

- Artificial shield, simulating - Physical shields (Aluminum / Lead)

Earth’s magnetosphere - Radiation bounces off of particle
- The magnetic field’s charge nuclei
reflects the opposite charge of
-----Cons-----
the radiation
- Requires lots of material
-----Cons-----
- Can cause secondary radiation
- Requires a massive and showers (just as harmful)
expensive generator - Susceptible to “wear and tear”
- Acts over relatively small
distances
 What are we trying to do?
We are testing transmissivity of a certain type of plastic, high-density polyethylene!

What is transmissivity?

Basically, it’s how well

radiation can pass through a
material.

Retrieved from researchgate.net

 Why polyethylene?
- Easy to manufacture
- Contains hydrogen, which is good at stopping radiation
- Carbon and hydrogen have low mass numbers
- Common plastic in recycled items

Cons of polyethylene
- Not very dense in its normal state
- Low melting point compared to aluminum
(250 - 350 °F)

Image taken from alche.org

 Hypotheses
Hypothesis - If sheets of recycled HDPE are used to shield radiation, then they will
perform similarly to non-recycled sheets of plastic HDPE.

Should the hypothesis fail…

Null Hypothesis - If sheets of recycled HDPE are used to shield radiation, then
they will have a worse average performance than pure HDPE.
 Procedure
Molding Plastic:

1. Cut HDPE into small pieces

2. Soften the pieces
3. Place softened HDPE into mold

Testing Radiation Transmissivity:

1. Take control measurement with no shielding

2. Start recycled shielding testing with one layer, then progress through testing,
adding one ½ inch thick layers until reaching 2.5 inches
3. Repeat step two for the non-recycled HDPE
Visual of Our
Molding Procedure
Current Progress
 X-ray machine

Retrieved from dentalexpo.com Retrieved from dentalproductshopper.com

 Data and Analysis
- Calculate percent difference between recycled and non-recycled HDPE for
each layer

- Graph all data gathered and derive the relationship between thickness and
radiation permeability

Retrieved from radonshop.com

 The Vision
- Astronauts will be able to travel far away from
the Earth’s magnetosphere without fear of
radiation dangers
- Future martian/lunar colonies will be able to
build upon their radiation barriers by recycling
plastic waste from packaged supplies
- This project will keep future colonies from
becoming polluted with plastic waste!
Retrieved from smithsonianmag.com
 Acknowledgements
A huge thanks to the following:

● Governor’s School at Innovation Park (Funding and instruction/support)

● Juan Rivas (Visual artwork)

● Reflection Dental (Providing the X-ray machine access)

 REFERENCES
Frazier, S. (2015, September 30). How to Protect Astronauts from Space Radiation on Mars. Retrieved from

https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/real-martians-how-to-protect-astronauts-from-space-radiation-on-mars on November 29, 2018.

Radiation shielding of spacecraft in manned interplanetary flights. (2000, March 20). Retrieved from

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168900299010918 on November 29, 2018.

Implementation of ALARA radiation protection on the ISS through polyethylene shielding augmentation of the Service Module Crew Quarters.

(2004, April 02). Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0273117704002078 on November 29, 2018.

Mars, K. (2017, April 13). Why Space Radiation Matters. Retrieved from https://www.nasa.gov/analogs/nsrl/why-space-radiation-matters on

November 28, 2018.

 WEBSITE
Check out our awesome website!

https://recycledshielding.weebly.com/