Computational Assessment of Polymer-Based Materials as Diagnostic X-Ray Beam Filters and their Implications on Environmental Challenges

Authors

  • Victoria Mathew
  • Paul Ayanlola
    Department of Pure and Applied Physics, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology
  • Philip Bayode
  • Gbadebo Isola
  • Michael Adegunlola
  • Taiwo Amusat
  • Adewale Olatunji
  • Olalere Orodiran

Keywords:

Polymer materials, X-ray Filters, Fluence Energy Spectrum, Air Kerma, Simulation

Abstract

Conventional X-ray beam filters, such as Aluminum (Al), effectively remove low-energy photons but are often limited by rigidity, cost, and poor adaptability. Polymer-based materials offer a lightweight, flexible, and potentially sustainable alternative, although their filtration performance has not been comprehensively evaluated. This study computationally assessed seven polymers namely: Polymethyl Methacrylate (PMMA), Polycarbonate (PC), Polyethylene (PE), Polypropylene (PP), Polystyrene (PS), Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), and Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) as alternative diagnostic X-ray beam filters and compared with Al, Copper (Cu), Tin (Sn), and Tantalum (Ta). X-ray spectra were simulated using SpekPy v2.0.8 under routine diagnostic exposure conditions (66–90 kVp) with 2.5 mm inherent Aluminum filtration. PTFE transmitted significantly more photons than Aluminum (p < 0.05), while PVC demonstrated attenuation which is equivalent to Aluminum across all examinations. In contrast, Cu, Sn, and Ta produced excessive attenuation at the tested thickness. These findings identify PVC as a promising alternative diagnostic X-ray beam filter, combining attenuation performance comparable to Aluminum with the added advantages of reduced weight, flexibility, recyclability, and potential for sustainable reuse

Author Biographies

Victoria Mathew

Department of Pure and Applied Physics, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso

Philip Bayode

Department of Physics with Electronics, University of Ilesa, Osun State, Nigeria

Gbadebo Isola

Department of Pure and Applied Physics, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology

Michael Adegunlola

Department of Pure and Applied Physics, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso

Taiwo Amusat

Department of Physics Education, Emmanuel Alayande University of Education, Oyo, Nigeria

Adewale Olatunji

Department of Physics, Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo State, Nigeria

Olalere Orodiran

Department of Pure and Applied Physics, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso

Dimensions

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Published

2026-08-26

How to Cite

Mathew, V., Ayanlola, P., Bayode, P., Isola, G., Adegunlola, M., Amusat, T., Olatunji, A., & Orodiran, O. (2026). Computational Assessment of Polymer-Based Materials as Diagnostic X-Ray Beam Filters and their Implications on Environmental Challenges. Nigerian Journal of Theoretical and Environmental Physics, 4(2), 141-150. https://doi.org/10.62292/njtep.v4i2.2026.155

Issue

Vol. 4 No. 2 (2026): Nigerian Journal of Theoretical and Environmental Physics - Vol. 4 No. 2

Section

Articles
Copyright & Licensing

Copyright (c) 2026 Victoria Mathew, Paul Ayanlola, Philip Bayode, Gbadebo Isola, Michael Adegunlola, Taiwo Amusat, Adewale Olatunji, Olalere Orodiran

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Mathew, V., Ayanlola, P., Bayode, P., Isola, G., Adegunlola, M., Amusat, T., Olatunji, A., & Orodiran, O. (2026). Computational Assessment of Polymer-Based Materials as Diagnostic X-Ray Beam Filters and their Implications on Environmental Challenges. Nigerian Journal of Theoretical and Environmental Physics, 4(2), 141-150. https://doi.org/10.62292/njtep.v4i2.2026.155

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