Lead as a shielding materialWe know lead – and protect people and the environment.
Lead shields radiation in a small space, resists aggressive acids and can be recycled almost completely. These properties make it indispensable in many applications.
atomic number (Pb) – strong interaction with radiation
g/cm³ density
melting point – energy-efficient processing and recycling
raw material recycling rate of our products
What lead does better
Shielding in a small space
For Co-60 gamma radiation, around 4 cm of lead reduces the dose rate by a factor of 10. Concrete needs around 20 cm.
Corrosion resistant
Lead forms a protective layer and resists sulphuric acid. That is why it has proven itself in chemical apparatus for decades.
Easy to form
Lead can be rolled, pressed, cast and joined by lead burning (lead welding) – even into large and complex components.
Recyclable
Lead does not lose quality when recycled. Our spent anodes, for example, go straight back into new anodes.
Durable
Shielding and lead-lined equipment often stay in service for several decades.
Versatile
Medicine, inspection, nuclear technology, research, chemicals and metal extraction.
Estimate lead thickness and weight
The lead thickness follows from the required attenuation and the tenth-value layer of lead for your radiation source.
- X-rays 100 kV
- approx. 0.8 mm per tenth-value layer
- X-rays 250 kV
- approx. 2.9 mm
- Ir-192
- approx. 16 mm
- Cs-137
- approx. 22 mm
- Co-60
- approx. 40 mm
Simplified estimate based on tenth-value layers of lead (broad beam, guide values from technical literature, density 11.34 g/cm³). Scatter, geometry, use and occupancy factors and applicable standards are not taken into account. Our engineering team carries out the final design.
Good to know
Why does lead shield radiation so well?
Lead has a high density and a high atomic number. As a result, X-ray and gamma radiation interacts with the material very frequently and is attenuated over a short distance.
How much does one square metre of lead sheet weigh?
1 mm of lead weighs 11.34 kg per square metre. A 3 mm lead sheet therefore weighs around 34 kg per square metre.
Is lead in a finished shielding dangerous?
In installed shielding, metallic lead is usually encased, coated or integrated into composite panels. When lead is processed, occupational safety rules for lead apply, which we implement in our production.
Are there alternatives to lead?
For some applications concrete, steel or tungsten can be considered. Concrete needs much more space, tungsten is considerably more expensive. We advise you on which material makes sense for your application.
What happens to lead at the end of its service life?
Lead can be remelted and reused without loss of quality. We take back lead-lined components and spent anodes and return the material to the cycle.
Occupational health and safety
Safety comes first at JL Goslar – for our customers and for our employees.
- Qualified and trained specialists for lead processing
- Personal protective equipment suited to each task
- Regular training, e.g. as fire safety assistants
- Environmental management to DIN EN ISO 14001
Request a quote for Radiation Shielding
Send us a drawing, specification or short description. You will receive a qualified reply from our sales and engineering team.