"Unaffected by Radiation" ETRI Develops Film-Type Composite Material Sensor

24-Hour Continuous Radiation Exposure Possible for Temperature and Pressure Measurement
Applicable in Extreme Environments like Nuclear Power Plants, Expected to Replace Heavy Lead Protective Clothing

[Asia Economy Reporter Eunmo Koo] Domestic researchers have developed a flexible composite material-based sensor that can withstand radiation. It is expected to be effectively utilized as a radiation-resistant sensor capable of measuring pressure and temperature inside nuclear power plants or as a replacement for heavy lead protective clothing.

The Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) announced on the 2nd that it developed a radiation-resistant pressure-temperature composite sensor based on a composite material combining graphene, MXene, and polymer resin (Ecoflex).

Nuclear power plants generate electricity using elements such as radium, uranium, thorium, and polonium. During the handling of these elements, radiation is emitted. Radiation has very high penetration power, which can cause electronic device failures or malfunctions and, if exposed to the human body, can cause harmful biological tissue damage due to radiation exposure.

Existing nuclear power plant equipment mainly uses semiconductor materials to make sensors, which are then shielded with lead that radiation cannot penetrate. Protective clothing worn by personnel entering related facilities is also mostly made of lead. This results in increased equipment weight and volume, and the protective clothing is also very heavy.

In response, ETRI developed a composite sensor that can measure both pressure and temperature while remaining physically and chemically stable even when exposed to high-energy radiation. The research team verified the performance of the developed sensor at the Advanced Radiation Research Institute of the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute located in Jeongeup and succeeded in demonstrating its excellence.

In the experiment, the material was tested under radiation levels fatal to humans. The researchers confirmed that even after 24 hours of gamma-ray irradiation at 20 kGy from cobalt-60, there was no change or abnormality in the material. The developed sensor is in the form of a flexible film. It is lightweight and can be manufactured in large areas and various shapes. It is expected to replace heavy lead protective clothing used in radiation exposure zones such as nuclear power plants or hospitals by being made into clothing form.

It can also be used as a sensor to detect objects. Through experiments, the ETRI research team confirmed that the sensor sensitivity is high enough to detect differences in force depending on weight, differences in gripping pressure depending on hardness, and differences in liquid temperature. It can be applied to prosthetic hands as well as robots deployed in extreme environments with severe radiation exposure where humans cannot enter to perform tasks.

The developed material not only blocks radiation but also has excellent shielding effects against high-frequency electromagnetic waves, making it highly useful in fields such as 5G communication electronic devices, radar systems for autonomous vehicles, and the aerospace industry. It is also predicted to have high applicability in household appliances, medical and defense industrial electronic devices, electronic components or sensors used in extreme environments, and smart electronic devices.

The research team stated that they were able to develop the sensor based on long-accumulated know-how related to two-dimensional composite materials. They emphasized that the key to this achievement was the technology to manufacture and combine suitable materials.

Dr. Choi Chun-ki, head of the Nano Electronic Device Laboratory at ETRI, said, "We hope that the excellent shielding performance of this technology will greatly help enable safe and convenient work and easy operation of electronic devices in environments with high radiation or electromagnetic wave exposure." This research was supported by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy’s Nuclear Research and Development Project, and the technology developed by the research team is currently undergoing patent registration in Korea and the United States.

ETRI stated that this technology is highly complete and can be immediately transferred to material and sensor companies, and the research team expects related products to be commercialized within two years.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.