From concept to shielded part
1. Define the radiation
What's the source? What energies are involved? Photons, neutrons or both? What dose reduction do you need? Your Radiation Safety Officer or health physicist should be part of this step.
2. Pick the material
- X-rays and gamma rays: Rapid 3DShield Tungsten (88–94% W, 7.80–9.20 g/cc)
- Thermal neutrons: Rapid 3DShield Boron Carbide (50–60% B₄C, 1.30–1.50 g/cc)
- Mixed fields: both, layered. See the multi-element guide.
3. Size the walls
For tungsten, use our green-state test data. Solid-metal tables overstate a printed part, which needs roughly 2.1–2.5× the thickness of solid tungsten. For boron carbide, see the calculated transmission chart. A few millimetres absorbs nearly all of a thermal beam.
4. Set up the printer
- Hardened steel nozzle: 0.8 mm for tungsten, 0.6 mm for boron carbide, standard flow
- Start from your PLA profile, since both print similar to PLA
- Feed the filament straight into the extruder
- Do not dry the filament. Drying degrades the binder.
5. Check density
Print the tungsten calibration model. It should weigh 5.5 g or more. Print shielding parts at 100% infill.
6. Print, measure, document
Measure dose rates with and without the shield. Record the material, printed density, drawings and results. Printed parts are used as they come off the printer, with no debinding or sintering.
Working on a shielding program or ordering by PO? Email [email protected]. · Tungsten filament · Boron carbide filament