A RESEARCH STUDY BY:EVAN FOX

The Effects of Beta Radiation on Polymers

Abstract

Due to a growing number of cancer cases annually, possibly related to cell phone use, an interesting problem to investigate would be to find which polymer cell phone covering re-ionizes the most amount of harmful radiation before reaching the brain. The motivation behind the study is to find a way to make mobile communication safer, and submit the public to fewer amounts of radiation. It was hypothesized that a silicon based polymer would re-ionize more radiation due to its higher atomic density and crystalline structure that will bond with the highest amount of radioactive particles. This study examined how changes of polymer sheeting over a cell phone would affect the amount of beta radiation going through the covering and reaching an EMF detector.

This was tested by setting up a cell phone, a polymer sheet, and an EMF detector all 0.6 cm apart and setting a cell phone to emit high amounts of radiation by having it receive a call, while polymer sheets intercepted the beta radiation that was moving toward the detector. The control was having no polymer intercept radiation from the cell phone. Results show that polyvinylchloride (PVC) re-ionized the most amount of radiation.

On average, polyvinylchloride allowed 4.17mW/cm2 to reach the detector in 15 seconds. The control with no polymer resulted in 6.83mW/cm2 of radiation reaching the EMF detector in the same amount of time. This shows that polyvinylchloride blocked, bonded with, or re-ionized 38.9% of all the radiation coming from the cell phone to the EMF detector. It was concluded that polyvinylchloride re-ionized the most beta radiation because of its thermoplastic properties. According to literature,(11) these types of thermoplastics hold onto the most amount of energy when ignited by an outside source. (When ignited, its flame radiates only about half the energy, while the polymer absorbs the other half.) This shows that the polymer that re-ionizes the most amount of radiation would be a thermoplastic. In this study, polyvinylchloride makes cell phones the safest due to the drastic decrease of active radiation received by the EMF detector, or what would be a human brain.

Background Information

Radiation = molecules stripped of electrons at approaching speed of light

Focusing on beta radiation If absorbed by humans, harmful side effects by decaying and

mutating immune cells (4)“Radiation stopping” puts electrons back to make it non

radioactive (re-ionization), or literally stopping themMore cancer in past 10 yrs. than total in 80 yrs. (8)Cell phones work through electromagnetic beta radiation

interaction…(10)Most recent studies (11) say what most effects blocking

ability is molecular structure and atom spacing.Study (11) shows thermoplastics will give off less heat and

energy due to structure.

Purpose

Cell phones, power plants, laser jet printers…Material to absorb, stop or change radioactive

particles while still allowing quality of phoneCommon material, not expensiveWhat common polymer is most effective at

re-ionizing radioactive beta radiation from cell phones?

Currently using Demron ($1,700 for a hazmat suit)

Uses polyrecythlene, threaded, and uses a spray shielding, will not disclose info

Beta Radiation

• Beta Radiation is:• Byproduct of energy production through alkaline

metals• Beta Radiation: 2nd most harmful to human body after alpha: nuclear fission• Mainly found in cell phone use from the energy of

the battery transferring information.

Original Project

Original project: Same as what will be described but instead of using a

cell phone, beta laser was to be used. This brought about many cost and safety issues.

Variables

Problem: What polymer is most effective at blocking or re-ionizing radiation before it comes into contact with an EMF detector?

Independent Variable: Type of polymerDependent Variable: Amount of beta radiation

detected by the EMF detectorControl: No intercepting polymerConstants: Cell phone, type of usage of cell phone,

EMF detector, time of exposure to radiation, volume of polymer, thickness of polymer, distance polymer is from phone and meter, surface area of polymers, data interpretation method.

Materials

10 polymers: polyacrylate, ABS, polypropylene, polyethylene, polyacetal, silicone, polycarbonate, polyvinylchloride, nylon, and polysulfone all in .6 cm thick sheets.

.60 cm circular Exact blade 4 Ring stands 1 tape measure 4 utility clamps 1 stopwatch 1Technology alternatives 7021 Cell Sensor EMF detector 1 Blackberry Pearl cell phone 8110 model RBQ41GW 1 land line phone Cell phone service Table Camera Marker Recording materials 1.2mX1.2m craft paper Tape

Procedure

1. Acquired all materials2. With Exact saw, cut all polymers into single .6cmX15cmX20cm sheets3. Table was set up where cell phone service is available4. Taped down 1.2mX1.2m craft paper to table5. Ring stands were set up by putting 1 clamp on each stand 38cm high6. In one clamp, secured the cell phone, in another, the EMF detector, and in the

other two, mounted the polymer between the two of them.7. Ordered the stands so the cell phone is 1.2cm away from the .6cm thick polymer

which is 1.2cm away from the EMF detector. (see diagrams 2 and 3) And marked craft paper with the marker where all the stands are so during the switching of polymers, stands can always go back to the same place.

8. Placed the land line phone exactly 3m feet behind the setup and call the cellular phone, making the cell phone emit high amounts of radiation.

9. Measured the highest amount of radiation after 10 seconds with the EMF detector.10. Repeated steps 8-9 twice11. Repeated steps 8-10 with a different polymer12. Repeated steps 8-11 until all polymers are used13. Repeated steps 8-10 with no polymer as a control

Hypothesis

It was hypothesized that a silicon based polymer would re-ionize and block more radiation.

Highest atomic density of all common polymers: blocking.

Crystalline structure: bonding.

Cell Phone Radiation

Diagrams

Figure #1This is the EMF detector that was used during experimentation. This is an example of a possible reading one might get of a cell phone being blocked by a polymer.

Figure #2This is a side view of the set up used during experimentation. The polymer mounted in this setup is polycarbonate. As mentioned later, there appears to be variable sunlight.

Figure #3This is a top view of the set up used in the lab while polycarbonate is mounted. The distance between the phone and the polymer is 1.2cm and the detector to the polymer is 1.2 cm.

Figure #4This is the same view as figure 3 except silicone is mounted in the set up. As clearly seen, the silicone is bending, causing a possible error as discussed in conclusion.

Polymers

Name of PolymerMolecular formula Type of Polymer

Organic Polymer

?Valence

ElectronsAcrylonitrile-Butadiene-

Styrene C4H6

Monoadduct polycondensate * 2

Polyacetal CHO Thermoplastic * 1

Polycarbonate COCl2

Thermoplastic polycondensate * 0

Silicone Si2O3(CH3)4

Thermoset polycondensate 4

Polysulfone C27H26O6SThermoplastic

polycondensate * 2

Polyvinylchloride CH2CHCl Thermoplastic polymer * 5

Polyacrylate CaCO3NH2 Thermoplastic polymer * 4

Polypropylene

HO(CH2)2O

HThermoplastic Polymer

(crystalline) * 2

Polyethylene

H(OCH2CH

2)OH Thermoplastic polymer * 2

Nylon

CO2(CH2)2

NH2 Thermoset Fiber 6

Data Table

"Redone" signifies failed experiment that was retested

*Note that all measurements are measured in mW/cm2

Polymer

Polyacrylate ABS

Polypropylene

Polyethylene

Polyacetal

Silicone

Polycarbonate

PVC Nylon

Polysulfone

Control (nothing)

Trial 1 5.1 6.9 (Redone) 6.1 5.4 5.0 4.3 4.9 4.0 4.4 4.8 7.0

Trial 2 4.7 6.7 5.8(Redone)

5.7 4.9 5.0 4.9 4.1 4.4 5.0 6.7

Trial 3 5.0 6.5 6.1 5.7 4.7 4.7 4.8 4.4 4.5 5.1 6.8

Average 4.9 6.7 6.0 5.6 4.9 4.7 4.9 4.2 4.4 5.0 6.8

Graph

Polya

crylat

eABS

Polyp

ropy

lene

Polye

thylen

e

Polya

ceta

l

Silico

ne

Polyc

arbo

nate

Polyv

inylch

lorid

e

Nylon

Polys

ulfo

ne

Contro

l (no

thin

g)0.0

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

5.0

6.0

7.0Average Radiation to EMF Detector Per Polymer

Graph

Poly

acry

late

ABS

Poly

prop

ylen

e

Poly

ethy

lene

Poly

acet

al

Silic

one

Poly

carb

onat

e

Poly

viny

lchl

orid

e

Nyl

on

Poly

sulfo

ne

Control

(not

hing

)0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Trial 1Trial 2Trial 3Average

Data Discussion

Data suggests polyvinylchloride (PVC) re-ionized most radiation @ 4.2 mW/cm2

Last trial had 9% deviationNylon second best @ 4.4 mW/cm2 All trials within 5%Similarities between top blocking polymers:

Inorganic blocked, as a whole, the most amount Thermoplastics blocked most of any type Higher hydrogen and carbon atoms=less radiation

blockage

Conclusions

PVC blocked 35% of the radiation from the cell phone.

Hypothesis rejected: silicone allowed 4.7 vs. 4.2 mW/cm2

What happened: Studies (11) show thermoplastics (PVC) will absorb

energy (radiation) and slowly disperse is because of its cratered structure.

Radiation acting as energy entered polymer and was very slowly dispersed , without showing much radiation.

Conclusions (cont.)

Molecular density also did not seem to play a part in the blocking of radiation. Consistently, the higher count of carbon and hydrogen

atoms in the molecule allowed more radiation through. Radiation Shielding (8) says that those two atoms will

create fields that radiation can easily transfer through.None of the radiation was re-ionized:

Ionization has to do with valence electrons and bonding Polymers with different valence electrons had the same

count Polyacetal and Polyacrylate had 4.9mW/cm2 yet had 0

and 5 valence electrons.

Future Studies

Future studies may include: How to make a polymer re-ionize radiation How to design a radiation free mode of technology

communication How different molecular structures affect energy

absorption levels in polymers

Errors

Limitations include: EMF detector Accurate only to one decimal pointo Controlled Environmento Radiation from sunlight may have effected resultso Reproductiono In order to reproduce, must maintain same system of

reading and interpreting data.oSilicone trials (see figure 4) of bending of the polymer

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