Marshield | Medical Shielding | Lead Glass and Acrylic

Leaded X-Ray Shielding Glass and Acrylic

GENERAL INFORMATION:

MarShield™ carries a variety of sizes and thicknesses of X-Ray Lead Glass & Acrylic that is excellent in providing radiation shielding. The material is usually placed into a lead lined frame built into a wall or door. Used extensively in X-Ray rooms, operating theatres, radiation therapy rooms, dental clinics, veterinary clinics, laboratories and for materials testing. Applications may include observation viewing windows and intercommunication windows, door glazings, panoramic glazings, mobile shielding protection, protection panels for check-up systems or in a mammography work stations and as lenses for safety goggles. MarShield™

X-Ray Leaded Glass & Acrylic has been designed for one purpose: to provide a high quality, transparent protective shield against X-Ray radiation. Extensive research and development have been done for you to ensure and trust its comprehensive protection in any medical, technical research application.

NOTE: The lead equivalent in mm - Pb, defines the protective effect of the glass compared to a lead wall.
Example; A glass with 2.0 mm Pb offers the same protective effect as a 2 mm thick lead wall.

LEADED X-RAY GLASS:

MarShield™ X-Ray Glass is a lead barium type glass of high quality optical grade with over 60 percent heavy metal oxide, including at least 55 percent PbO offering optimum performance. Our leaded glass provides excellent visual clarity while shielding against radiation from equipment in the 100 to 300 kV range. Both surfaces are mirror polished, resisting abrasives and scratches. MarShield™ high quality lead glass is more than qualified to meet or exceed the high standards of stringent safety regulations established in the medical, scientific, as well as nuclear fields around the world. A continuous, automatic melting/rolling process allows production of lead glass in the industry's largest size, 48” x 96” (1219.2 mm x 2438.4 mm).

Click Here to view a Comparison of Lead Glass and Lead Acrylic

Important Notes:

It is advisable to take into consideration with regard to the installation, cleaning and disinfection of radiation shielding glass.

• X-ray Leaded glass should not be exposed to humidity, temperature fluctuations or acid gases.

• Remove any protective plastic wrap prior to installation without sharp objects.

• Due to the high lead oxide content, on some of our lead glass surfaces they will be more susceptible to scratching and the attack of acids and alkalis. Use only an approved, non-abrasive cleaning agent along with a soft cloth. The glass can be disinfected by using a commercially available disinfectant.

• When installing, care should be taken that the sealing agents do not contain any acid or alkaline substances (e.g. acetic acid, ammonia). Labels may cause staining on the glass surface by the reaction of the adhesive.

• All Glass must be thoroughly inspected upon receipt of goods. All discrepancies and/or damages shall be immediately noted and reported in writing to MarShield and on the freight bill of lading when received. It is then necessary to immediately notify the carrier's head office of any damages. File within 24 hours any claims for freight damages with this carrier. MarShield will happily assist however possible, when requested. All materials received shall be properly stored in the original crate in which it is received until such time as the installation. The glass should only be stored ain a vertical position and never laid flat. Free from any contact of water, moisture, or dampness on a flat, dry level surface. Room shall be properly ventilated to carry and dampness out of room. Avoid any exposure to direct sunlight, extreme heat source, and humidity or excessive temperatures.

• Lead glass is extremely fragile compared to normal household glass and therefore should only be cut by an experience glass cutter.

LEADED X-RAY ACRYLIC:

MarShield Leaded Acrylic / Plastic is the shatter-resistant, versatile answer to all of your customers' x-ray shielding needs! Our Lead acrylic is not lead glass. It's a unique, versatile, transparent plastic that contains 30% lead by weight. Shatter-resistant and rugged, it combines superb light transmission with effective radiation protection. It is available in six different lead equivalencies and thicknesses. The lead equivalency and thickness are directly related; the higher the L.E. the thicker the piece of leaded Acrylic.

Uses for Leaded Acrylic:

Mobile Barriers - Viewing windows for portable or stationary barriers.
Modular Control Booths - Viewing windows for X-Ray Control Booths.
Windowpanes - Door glazing, Viewing windows in leaded wall systems and as lenses for safety goggles or other types of machines.

General Data:
- Lead Acrylic is made from an acrylic copolymer resin into which lead is chemically introduced as an organolead salt compound.

Introduction

CLEAR-Pb Lead-Plastic is a lead-impregnated, transparent, plastic sheet that contains 30% lead by weight. It combines superb light transmission with effective radiation shielding. Shatter resistance lends to its ease of handling and use in large continuous panes. It can be cut, drilled or machined using standard plastic-handling techniques. CLEAR-Pb Lead- Plastic provides complete radiation protection with unmatched design flexibility.

Applications

CLEAR-Pb Lead-Plastic modular barriers and window panes provide just the degree of radiation protection needed, together with distortion free panoramic viewing of the patient and equipment. It can be fabricated into large continuous window panes-up to 6 x 8 feet (even larger on special request). Available from a wide range of sizes and choices of lead equivalences from 0.3 to 3.0 mm. The appearance of any imaging room will be enhanced with the addition of these modern, decorator-like modules. CLEAR-Pb opaque x-ray shielding panels have a honeycomb formaldehyde free inner wall construction that is sandwiched between a lead-lined vinyl laminate. These very strong, yet lightweight panels are only 1.5 inch thick, presenting a space saving, attractive installation. Easy to handle, they allow for fast, economic, on-site assembly and installation and can be moved or changed without expensive labor or repairs should the need arise.

Lead equivalent (mm Pb)

Thickness (mm)

Density (g/cm3)

Weight (lb/ft2)

0.30

8.5 + 0.7

1.6

2.3

0.50

12 + 1

1.6

3.9

0.80

18 + 1

1.6

5.9

1.00

22 + 1.5

1.6

7.2

1.50

35 + 2

1.6

11.5

2.00

46 + 3

1.6

15.0

Installation

The contractor furnishes all labor, services, and equipment for the proper installation and the complete performance of CLEAR-Pb Lead-Plastic as shown and specified. Materials supplied are subject to the terms and conditions of the contract documents. An instruction manual is available from Cardinal Health, Radiation Management Services.

Handling

Both sides of each CLEAR-Pb Lead-Plastic panels are protected by masking paper. Do not remove this paper until the panel has been mounted and is in final position. Rolling the paper edges enough to accommodate the hardware thickness is recommended prior to the final position. Unpack the material carefully. If crated, remove the crate lid and one side. If being handled by fork lifts, particular care is needed to prevent chipping or scratching. Use of a pallet is recommended. To move always LIFT IT, NEVER SLIDE IT.

Handling Mounting or Framing

A) An allowance of 1% should be taken for expansion and shrinkage of length and width. Allowances for thickness changes are not necessary.
B) Do not fix Leaded Acrylic in place with screws or bolts unless a 1% clearance has been left (in the form of slots) for these fasteners.
C) Do not us sheets thinner than 12 mm without frames. The overlap between the sheet and the frame should be at least 3/8”
D) When using leaded Acrylic, avoid local load concentrations to minimize the possibility of breakage.

Cutting

CLEAR-Pb Lead-Plastic is best cut with a circular saw, either a bench or overhead model. For long blade life, use a tungsten-carbide-toothed blade. A blade designed for cutting plywood (or any other fine-toothed blade) will give a reasonably smooth cut. A lower cutting (feed) speed also promotes a smoother cut. The blade of the bench saw should protrude 5% to 10% of its diameter above the upper surface of the CLEAR-Pb. If chipping occurs on the upper surface, raise the blade, if on the lower surface, lower the blade (reverse for an overhead saw).

Hazard Warning - Dust Treatment:

When cut, lead-containing dust may be released which may be poisonous if inhaled or ingested in large quantities; or in small quantities over time. A dust mask should be used when cutting. If much cutting is planned, use a ventilation system that draws air and dust from the site of the cutting tool, away from the operator and into a filling system.

Drilling

A drill press or hand-held drill can be used as follows:

Standard drilling conditions
Point angle: 125° to 140° Relief angle: 15° to 20° Drill speed: 100 to 500 RPM

Clamp the material for drilling, backing it with wood scrap. Reduce the RPM and feed speed when the hole diameter and depth increase. If cracking occurs, decrease the feed speed or increase the tip angle. If necessary, cool with air or water, water spray should be stopped after 0.5 hour to prevent excessive absorption. Larger holes can be made with a hole saw.

Maintenance

Storage

Always store the CLEAR-Pb panels horizontally, never vertically, or inclined. The storage base should be a flat, smooth surface (such as a plywood sheet) and be larger than the panel. Panels should be stacked no higher than 1 foot, with corrugated cardboard sheets placed between them. Avoid water splash, humidity over 80% RH, or temperatures over 120.

Cleaning

MarShield Lead-Plastic panels and windows require the same cleaning techniques used on conventional plastic sheets. Cleaning, rinsing and drying with a soft cloth and water should remove normal dirt and smudges. Avoid products containing ammonia as this will “cloud” the CLEAR-Pb and void your warranty.

Removing Scratches

To remove fine scratches, haziness and abrasions from lead acrylic surfaces, we recommend the use of Plastic Polish. Follow the directions on the bottle supplied. In general, all surface dust should be removed with a soft cloth. Shake the polish well, and apply the polish in a gentle circular motion until dry. Then buff with a clean dry cloth, lint free. For deeper scratches, repeat polishing and buffing procedure a number of times

Technical Services

Contact MarShield sales department for assistance with selecting the correct CLEAR-Pb Lead-Plastic components. MarShield will also help prepare recommendations for shielding applications.

CLEAR-Pb is a registered trademark of Cardinal Health, Inc. or one of its subsidiaries.
© Copyright 2004 Cardinal Health, Inc. or one of its subsidiaries. All rights reserved.
CLEARPb-spec-ds rev 2 09 aug 04
Specifications are subject to change without notice.

Ordering

When ordering a MarShield Leaded X-Ray Glass or Acrylic it is critical that all necessary information be supplied. MarShield cannot be held responsible for insufficient or missing information. It is up to the purchaser to ensure that all necessary information be at time of quoting.

L.E. is an abbreviation for Lead Equivalency. This means the amount of lead required to provide complete radiation shielding. MarShield specifies these measurements in millimeters but if required can be specified in fractions.

A Medical Physicist or your Radiation Safety Officer (RSO) must always specify the amount of shielding or lead equivalence needed in your facility. MarShield does not make any kind of recommendations but can give you a general idea based on past sales.

Considerations and Information Required when Ordering

• Quantity of each size
• Size of X-Ray Leaded Glass or Acrylic. - (Watch cutting tolerances)
• Lead equivalency (millimeters, inches or pounds)
• Destination to be shipped to including your zip or postal code. This is required for obtaining freight rates for delivery to final destination.
• Urgency of order - date required on site.
• If International request state Closet Seaport or International Airport.
(MarShield does not include or offer any inland freight to local destination from the seaport or airport) - Shipped by Ocean Freight or Air Freight only.

Specifications

Physical

The table below contains some of the mechanical and thermal properties of CLEAR-Pb Lead-Plastic. Values are averages of several measurements.

Properties

Unit

CLEAR-Pb

Conventional Acrylic

Specific gravity

1.6

1.2

Tensile strength

kg/cm28.5 + 0.7

490

780

Elongation

%1.6

18

6

Tensile modulus

kg/cm2

2.4 x 104

3.3 x 104

Flexural strength

kg/cm2

710

1200

Flexural modulus

kg/cm2

2.1 x 104

3.3 x 104

Izod impact strength
(notched)

kg/cm/cm

3.0

2.2

Falling ball impact test
Min. breakage height

cm

> 200
Lead Glass 25

> 200

Rockwell hardness

------

M-73

M-100

Heat deflection temp
Max. stress: 18.6 kg/cm2

°C

80

100

Coefficient of linear AThermal Expansion (below 35°C)

cm/ºC

1 x 10-4

7 x 10-5

Optical

Refractive and reflective indices of CLEAR-Pb Lead-Plastic are compared with those of conventional acrylic, lead glass and plate glass are found in the table below. When a light beam passes through a plate with optically-polished planes, reflection occurs at both surfaces. Since the reflection is reduced for a material with a lower refractive index, it gives less reflection than lead glass.

Properties

CLEAR-Pb

Lead glass (at 23ºC)

Plate glass

Conventional acrylic

Refractive Index, nD

1.54

1.98

1.52

1.49

Reflective Index, p*

0.1454

0.1081

0.0426

0.0387

*p = (nD - 1)2/(nD + 1)2