The radiation shielding competence and imaging spectroscopic based studies of Iron ore region of Kozhikode district, Kerala

Abstract

Hyperspectral data and its ability to explore the minerals and their associated rocks have a remarkable application in mineral exploration and lithological characterization. The present study aims to explore the radiation shielding aspects of the iron ore in Kerala with the aid of the Hyperion hyperspectral dataset. The reflectance-spectra obtained from the laboratory conditions as well as from the image show various absorptions. The results from the spectra are validated with geochemical data and GPS points. The Monte Carlo simulation employed to evaluate the radiation shielding ability. Raising the oxygen ions caused a noteworthy decrease in the μ values of the studied rocks which is accompanied by an increase in Δ0.5 and Δeq values. The Δ0.5 and Δeq values increased by factors of approximately 77 % with raising the oxygen ions between 44.32 and 47.57 wt.%. The μ values varies with the oxygen concentrations, where the μ values decreased from 2.531 to 0.925 cm−1 (at 0.059 MeV), from 0.381to 0.215 cm−1 (at 0.662 MeV), and from 0.279 to 0.158 cm−1 (at 1.25 MeV) with raising the oxygen ions from 44.32 to 47.43 wt.%. © 2023 Korean Nuclear Society