## 3 Results
### Characterization of the Structural and Morphological Properties of Tungsten-Reinforced Polyisoprene
#### 3.1.2 Structural Properties of Tungsten-Reinforced Polyisoprene Characterized by X-Ray Diffraction
As the force increases to 25 N, the displacement attains 137.86 mm, demonstrating improved flexibility while sustaining support. A force of 50 N induces considerable bending (275.72 mm), emphasizing flexibility to uneven surfaces. At 100 N, significant deformation (580.87 mm) indicates the nearing of mechanical limitations, which could affect shielding efficacy. Excessive stress may modify thickness and homogeneity, influencing radiation attenuation. Reinforcement techniques such as WO\({}_{3}\) are essential to improve mechanical stability while maintaining flexibility for gamma radiation-shielding applications. Figure 6: Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy spectra of polyisoprene (natural rubber, NR) and tungsten oxide (WO\({}_{3}\))-reinforced polyisoprene. The transmittance spectra display characteristic absorption bands corresponding to different functional groups present in each material. Evaluating the Radiation-Shielding Effectiveness of Tungsten-Reinforced Polyisoprene via Simulation and Experimental Validation  
2.1 Computational Analysis of Tungsten-Reinforced Polyisoprene as a Radiation Shielding Material Using XCOM Simulations  
The mass attenuation coefficients (MAC) of PbO\({}_{2}\), NR, and WO\({}_{3}\)-reinforced NR were calculated using XCOM, a photon cross section database developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), at various photon energies [38]. The simulation ranged in photon energy from 10\({}^{-4}\) to 10\({}^{6}\) MeV. Figure 8A illustrates the MAC (cm\({}^{2}\)/g) for various photon interactions as a function of photon energy (MeV). As photon energy rises, the MAC of NR (red) decreases dramatically. NR has a considerably larger coherent scattering probability at low photon energies (\(\sim\)10\({}^{-3}\) MeV) than at higher energies. Beyond 0.1 MeV, the attenuation coefficient decreases substantially and becomes insignificant beyond \(\sim\)1 MeV. The PbO\({}_{2}\) across all photon energies exhibits a higher MAC than NR, demonstrating its greater capacity for coherent scattering at low photon energies. The rate of decline is more gradual than NR, showing better shielding performance over a broader energy range. Tungsten-reinforced polyisoprene (blue curve) follows a similar trend to PbO\({}_{2}\) but with slightly lower attenuation coefficients at low energies and greater attenuation than lead at higher energies. The graph indicates WO\({}_{3}\)-reinforced NR effectiveness in coherent scattering and a viable alternative to conventional PbO\({}_{2}\) shielding. Figure 7: Characterization of shape deformation in tungsten-reinforced polyisoprene under bending, simulated using ANSYS. The deformation is presented for applied forces of (**A**) 10 N, (**B**) 25 N, (**C**) 50 N, and (**D**) 100 N. The color gradient represents the displacement magnitude (in mm), with red indicating the maximum deformation and blue indicating the minimum deformation. The incoherent scattering behavior of PbO\({}_{2}\), NR, and WO\({}_{3}\)-reinforced NR are illustrated in Figure 8B. In the intermediate energy range (0.1-a few MeV), incoherent (Compton) scattering predominates photon interaction. It occurs when incoming photons transfer en  
Figure 8: Computational analysis of tungsten-reinforced polyisoprene as a radiation-shielding material using XCOM simulations. Comparison of mass attenuation coefficients (cm\({}^{2}\)/g) for different photon interaction processes as a function of photon energy (MeV) for PbO\({}_{2}\) (black), natural rubber (NR) (red), and tungsten-reinforced polyisoprene (WO\({}_{3}\)-reinforced NR) (blue). (**A**) Coherent scattering, (**B**) incoherent scattering, (**C**) photoelectric absorption, (**D**) pair production in the nuclear field, (**E**) pair production in the electron field, (**F**) total attenuation with coherent scattering, and (**G**) total attenuation without coherent scattering. ergy to bound or free electrons, scattering low-energy photons.