Spring 2009 MarShield Newsletter
[April 3, 2009]

MarShield Borated Polyethylene:
A Radiation Shielding Option Worth Considering

Borated Polyethylene is a lightweight and easily fabricated shielding option. It is durable, offers superior dimensional quality and flatness, and can be supplied in mill shapes such as sheets, blocks and slabs. It can also be machined to your specifications. 5% Borated Polyethylene is green in colour and available in 1” x 48” x 96” sheets for simple installation in most applications. Each sheet of this size is approximately 150 lbs.

Borated Polyethylene is used in the medical, nuclear and other industries as a reliable shielding material for attenuating and absorbing neutron radiation. It offers consistent density and homogeneity and is durable over a wider temperature range than traditional materials.

Common applications for this material include high intensity X-Rays, shielding for cancer treatment facilities, nuclear storage and transport containers, hot cells, nuclear detection systems, research and test reactors, medical vaults, large neutron beam line applications and more.

Visit the MarShield website at www.marshield.com for information on this and other shielding products.
      
 

Varian Bricks: A Recent Large-Scale MarShield Lead Brick Application

Located in Las Vegas Nevada, Varian’s Security and Inspection Product Group is the world's leading manufacturer of X-ray technology for industrial and medical applications. At the 85,000 square foot manufacturing center, Varian produces state-of-the-art industrial X-ray inspection equipment for national security purposes such as cargo screening. The U.S. Customs Service reports that roughly six million cargo containers arrive through American seaports every year. To physically open each container and examine the contents would be too time consuming, so an X-ray imaging system, such as the Varian Medical Systems’ Linatron® linear accelerator, is required. It generates high energy X-ray beams and is used for cargo inspection.

The Linatron system can scan a full container in less than three minutes and can generate X-rays at energies of 9 million electron volts (MeV), powerful enough to pass through 440 millimeters (17 inches) of solid steel. Varian’s Linatrons give impressive results and can provide dual views by sending in two perpendicular beams so lighter materials cannot be shadowed or hidden behind denser materials.

Interlocking lead shielding bricks are required when using high-powered equipment such as the linear accelerator. MarShield is a trusted lead brick supplier for Varian, and our bricks provide a protective barrier from the steel-piercing x-rays used to see through cargo container walls. The bricks supplied to Varian’s Security and Inspection Products Division are custom made to very close tolerances to simplify the assembly process during the construction and testing phase. Each brick is stamped with the individual part number making the process of selecting the proper brick for the appropriate location in the shielding array simple, and more importantly, when the units are disassembled for transport the re-assembly time is significantly reduced.

Varian's specialized linear accelerators are used for screening operations in many countries around the world. Contraband, weapons, illegal substances, and stowaways can be detected in containers scanned by authorities using Varian-equipped systems.
Varian's X-ray computed tomography (CT) systems, such as detectors and software, provide solutions for even the most challenging industrial inspection needs. The clarity and reliability of the images allow operators to make decisions on the contents of the cargo. The X-ray equipment is also used to inspect rocket motors, turbine blades, engine castings and other manufactured parts. Varian’s X-ray systems are recognized globally for being of superior quality.

For more information on our products and capabilities, contact the MarShield team at
1-800-381-5335 or sales@marsmetal.com