Bismuth oxide-coated fabrics for X-ray shielding

Lead aprons are widely used in medical imaging to protect radiographers and patients from harmful radiation. However, lead is not a desirable material for use in wearable radiation protection due to its heavy weight, inflexibility, poor durability, and toxicity. In this study, we explored the suitability of bismuth oxide (Bi ₂ O ₃ ) coating for textiles as an alternative to lead. The intention was to demonstrate the concept and technology that will achieve a lead-equivalent lightweight X-ray protective textile material with improved wearability. The primary objective was to evaluate the X-ray shielding efficiency of two textile materials coated with Bi ₂ O ₃ . To do so, X-ray exposures were made at the system setting of 80 kVp, 12 mAs, and 80 SID (the distance from the X-ray beam source to the specimen). It is evident from this study that Bi ₂ O ₃ in a suitable resin matrix can be coated on fabrics and is an effective method to produce flexible, wearable, and lead-free aprons. Coated polyester fabrics with over 50% Bi ₂ O ₃ showed enhanced shielding ability for transmitted X-rays. This research has shown that microparticle size Bi ₂ O ₃ can be effective for X-ray attenuation.