Radiation Shielding and Collimators
Wolfmet tungsten is used as a tungsten shield against gamma and x-ray radiation or as a tungsten collimator to focus radiation beams onto a target.
For many years Wolfmet has been the first choice for engineers requiring tungsten radiation shielding or tungsten collimators. One key reason for this is Wolfmet’s very high density; in fact it is more than 60% denser than lead, providing superior attenuation characteristics for x-ray and gamma radiation.
As well as the superior attenuation, Wolfmet’s density also gives designers a significant advantage. It allows them to reduce the thickness of their shields and collimators whilst still providing the same protection as lead which is ideal for applications where space is restricted. Tungsten syringe shields can be manufactured with a reduction in thickness compared to lead, without compromising radiation protection.
Wolfmet tungsten alloy can be machined with conventional CNC machines, allowing our team to manufacture a wide range of designs to customer requirements. Once in use Wolfmet is physical strong and dimensionally stable up to 1000°C, making it robust and long lasting. In addition, Wolfmet is easy to clean and non-toxic so there is no need for licensing or special handling precautions.
Now we can also manufacture collimators using Wolfmet 3D – our innovative additive manufacturing process. We build components by fusing successive layers of pure tungsten. There are many benefits of using this process including the production of highly complex component designs, geometries not possible with traditional milling and turning and reduced scatter due to denser septa resulting in more accurate images than with traditional lead collimators.
We can produce collimators in a variety of forms – multi-pinhole, parallel, lofthole, dual resolution and divergent. We can also manufacture coded-aperture masks, nested masks and round, square or hexagonal grids.
Medical
Radiation can be used for both diagnostics and therapeutic applications in nuclear medicine. In each case, Wolfmet tungsten alloy provides the perfect solution for radiation shielding and collimators.
Recent pre-clinical studies have shown that Wolfmet 3D printed tungsten collimators produce dramatically improved image quality.
Find out more about the use of Wolfmet tungsten in Nuclear Medical applications.
Industrial
The strength and durability of Wolfmet tungsten alloy allows it to withstand harsh environments, while its density gives it excellent radiation attenuation characteristics.
Nuclear engineering
Wolfmet tungsten alloy can be used to provide effective shielding against harmful radiation in a range of nuclear engineering applications.
DOWNLOAD OUR RADIATION ATTENUATION DATASHEET
Wolfmet Tungsten Alloys are not only very dense, but they are also very good at attenuating ionising radiation. This makes them ideal for shielding applications such as in nuclear medicine or in the nuclear industry.
Our Services
As well as Wolfmet tungsten being an excellent shielding material the Wolfmet team at M&I Materials has a wealth of engineering knowledge and manufacturing experience. This helps us to work in partnership with customers to provide the perfect bespoke tungsten radiation shielding solution, where off the shelf items will not meet requirements.
Benefits of Wolfmet Tungsten for Radiation Shielding and Collimators
- High radiation attenuation; good shielding capability
- Thinner and often lighter than equivalent lead shields
- Easy to sterilise & keep clean
- Non-toxic; non-radioactive
- Machined to close tolerances
- Dimensionally stable up to 1000°C
- Hard and durable – no need for steel or plastic coating
- A team with over 40 years’ experience in tungsten
- ISO 9001 and IS0 14001 certification
- Manufactured in the UK
Applications as varied as equipment for nuclear medicine, oil & gas exploration, process control and monitoring, linear accelerators, isotope containers, cargo scanners all benefit from the excellent shielding properties of Wolfmet tungsten alloy.
For more specific information about Wolfmet components for radiation shielding please visit the relevant pages below. If you would like to find out how our tungsten alloys could benefit you, contact us today.