Titanate Coupling Agent Modified Flower-Shaped Bi2O3 for Enhancing X-Ray Shielding and Thermal Insulation of Foams

Radiation protection products (RPP) that provide thermal insulation and radiation safety are crucial for personnel exposed to nuclear materials. Unfortunately, existing RPPs are unable to withstand the demands of high-temperature working environments, which severely limits their applications. In this work, flower-shaped Bi 2 O 3 (FBi 2 O 3 ) filled waterborne polyurethane (WPU) foam is proposed to address this challenge. The filling volume of this foam is relatively low, which makes it lightweight. Meanwhile, the compatibility of the interface between FBi 2 O 3 and WPU is improved by modifying the surface of the FBi 2 O 3 using titanate coupling agent (TCA). The uniform dispersion of FBi 2 O 3 enables the material to exhibit excellent x-ray shielding properties (94%–99%) and low thermal conductivity (0.033 W/(m K)). Experimental and simulation results indicate that the interaction between materials and x-rays increases collision probability and reduces secondary scattering. This study provides a viable approach for fabricating lightweight, thermally insulating RPP, opening new avenues for developing advanced RPP.