Some students and others have asked about dose build-up factors, B, for shields by other materials than lead (shown in Fig. 7.20 in the Ed. 4 text book). The following table may be used for other materials and gamma energies between 0.5 and 10 MeV (from NYO-3075).

If the material is not given in the following Tables, you can estimate the dose build-up factor, B, for it by first interpolating between nearby (element number) materials to the actual energy and shield thickness, and finally intepolate to the actual element number. m is the absorption coefficient for the shield material and x is the actual shield thickness.

Water mx
E0 (MeV 1 2 4 7 10 15 20
0.255 3.09 7.14 23.0 72.9 166 456 982
0.5 2.52 5.14 14.3 38.8 77.6 178 334
1 2.13 3.71 7.68 16.2 27.1 50.4 82.2
2 1.83 2.77 4.88 8.46 12.4 19.5 27.7
3 1.69 2.42 3.91 6.23 8.63 12.8 17.0
4 1.58 2.17 3.34 5.13 6.94 9.97 12.9
6 1.46 1.91 2.76 3.99 5.18 7.09 8.85
8 1.38 1.74 2.40 3.34 4.25 5.66 6.95
10 1.33 1.63 2.19 2.97 3.72 4.90 5.98

 

Al, Z=13 mx
E0 (MeV 1 2 4 7 10 15 20
0.5 2.37 4.24 9.47 21.5 38.9 80.8 141
1 2.02 3.31 6.57 13.1 21.2 37.9 58.5
2 1.75 2.61 4.62 8.05 11.9 18.7 26.3
3 1.64 2.32 3.78 6.14 8.65 13.0 17.7
4 1.53 2.08 3.22 5.01 6.88 10.1 13.4
6 1.42 1.85 2.70 4.06 5.49 7.97 10.4
8 1.34 1.68 2.37 3.45 4.58 6.56 8.52
10 1.28 1.55 2.12 3.01 3.96 5.63 7.32

 

Fe, Z=26 mx
E0 (MeV 1 2 4 7 10 15 20
0.5 1.98 3.09 5.98 11.7 19.2 35.4 55.6
1 1.87 2.89 5.39 10.2 16.2 28.3 42.7
2 1.76 2.43 4.13 7.25 10.9 17.6 25.1
3 1.55 2.15 3.51 5.85 8.51 13.5 19.1
4 1.45 1.94 3.03 4.91 7.11 11.2 16.0
6 1.34 1.72 2.58 4.14 6.02 9.89 14.7
8 1.27 1.56 2.23 3.49 5.07 8.50 13.0
10 1.20 1.42 1.95 2.99 4.35 7.54 12.4

 

Sn, Z=50 mx
E0 (MeV 1 2 4 7 10 15 20
0.5 1.56 2.08 3.09 4.57 6.04 8.64
1 1.64 2.30 3.74 6.17 8.85 13.7 18.8
2 1.57 2.17 3.53 5.87 8.53 13.6 19.3
3 1.46 1.98 3.13 5.28 7.91 13.3 20.1
4 1.38 1.81 2.82 4.82 7.41 13.2 21.2
6 1.26 1.57 2.37 4.17 6.94 14.8 29.1
8 1.19 1.42 2.05 3.57 6.19 15.1 34.0
10 1.14 1.31 1.79 2.99 5.21 12.5 33.4

 

W, Z=74 mx
E0 (MeV 1 2 4 7 10 15 20
0.5 1.28 1.50 1.84 2.24 2.61 3.12
1 1.44 1.83 2.57 3.62 4.64 6.25 (7.35)*
2 1.42 1.85 2.72 4.09 5.27 8.07 (10.6)*
3 1.36 1.74 2.59 4.00 5.92 9.66 14.1
4 1.29 1.62 2.41 4.03 6.27 12.0 20.9
6 1.20 1.43 2.07 3.60 6.29 15.7 36.3
8 1.14 1.32 1.81 3.05 5.40 15.2 41.9
10 1.11 1.251 1.64 2.62 4.65 14.0 39.3

 

Pb, Z=82 mx
E0 (MeV 1 2 4 7 10 15 20
0.5 1.24 1.42 1.69 2.00 2.27 2.65 (2.73)*
1 1.37 1.69 2.26 3.02 3.74 4.81 5.86
2 1.39 1.76 2.51 3.66 4.84 6.87 9.00
3 1.34 1.68 2.43 3.75 5.30 8.44 12.3
4 1.27 1.56 2.25 3.61 5.44 9.80 16.3
5.11 1.21 1.46 2.08 3.44 5.55 11.7 23.6
6 1.18 1.40 1.97 3.34 5.69 13.8 32.7
8 1.14 1.30 1.74 2.89 5.07 14.1 44.6
10 1.11 1.23 1.58 2.52 4.34 12.5 39.2

 

U, Z=92 mx
E0 (MeV 1 2 4 7 10 15 20
0.5 1.17 1.30 1.48 1.67 1.85 2.08
1 1.31 1.56 1.98 2.50 2.97 3.67
2 1.33 1.64 2.23 3.09 3.95 5.36 (6.48)*
3 1.29 1.58 2.21 3.27 4.51 6.97 9.88
4 1.24 1.50 2.09 3.21 4.66 8.01 12.7
6 1.16 1.36 1.85 2.96 4.80 10.8 23.0
8 1.12 1.27 1.66 2.61 4.36 11.2 28.0
10 1.09 1.20 1.51 2.26 3.78 10.5 28.5

* Extrapolated values.