🚀 go-pugleaf

Arthur Carlson <carlson@ipp.mpg.de> wrote in message
news:pv29047n2il.fsf@suawc.aug.ipp-garching.mpg.de...
> sinecto@NOSPAM.clark.net writes:
>
> > Could someone be so kind as to suggest what materials are the cheapest
> > and most effective for neutron shielding if one is NOT interested in
breeding
> > any other fuel?
>
> Water, wood, paraffin, and concrete.

If you have access to a chem lab you can make a material which is pretty
effective as a neutron shield. You will need paraffin wax, heavy water (D2O), a
trace of base (NaOH) and a bomb (a steel pressure reaction vessel).

In the bomb place a quantity of paraffin wax, an excess of heavy water
sufficient to fill the bomb, and a trace of base. Observing safety precautions,
heat the bomb to above the critical temperature of heavy water, 371 C. Cook
overnight. The extent of deuterium exchange can be measured using deuterium NMR.

Deuterated paraffin wax is a very good neutron shield because of the good
neutron scattering properties of both deuterium and carbon. Paraffin wax can be
easily molded to any required shape.

d.n.