Monte Carlo Simulation of Depth-Dose Distribution in Medical Polymers Irradiated by 10 MeV Electron Beam Using PUFFIn
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25077/jif.18.2.210-218.2026Keywords:
radiation dose distribution, medical polymers, electron beam sterilization, Monte Carlo simulation, PUFFInAbstract
Polymers are widely used in disposable medical devices that must fulfill strict safety and effectiveness standards, including radiation sterilization. The effectiveness of electron-beam (e-beam) sterilization depends critically on the uniformity of the absorbed radiation dose distribution. This study investigates the absorbed dose depth distribution in 11 industrial polymer materials irradiated by a 10 MeV e-beam accelerator (BRIN specifications) using PUFFIn-based Monte Carlo simulations. Target materials were modeled as 100 × 25.5 × 10 cm blocks with observation points spaced 1 mm along the z-axis. The percentage depth dose (PDD) curves show that maximum dose depth Zmax ranges from 1.85 to 3.05 cm across the studied polymers. High-density materials such as Polycarbonate (PC, 1.35 g/cm3) exhibit shallower penetration (Zmax = 1.85 cm), whereas low-density materials like Polyolefin Elastomer (POE, 0.87 g/cm3) allow deeper penetration (Zmax = 3.05 cm). At equivalent densities, materials with higher effective atomic numbers (Zeff) tend to show slightly higher maximum doses (Dmax), likely due to enhanced electron interaction and backscattering probabilities. These quantitative insights provide a scientific basis for optimizing industrial e-beam processing parameters and material selection for medical device manufacturing.
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