Effective atomic numbers for W/Cu alloy using transmission experiments

Attenuation studies on pure elements are straightforward and extensive data sets are available in the literature. However, studies on alloys are meagre due to the nonavailability of alloys of known composition in suitable form. Such studies are useful in estimating effective atomic numbers and to verify the validity of the mixture rule. Empirical expressions for these have been reported in the literature but several discrepancies have been noted. In the present study, transmission experiments were conducted in a narrow beam geometry for the photon energy range 60–400 keV, evaluating the effective atomic numbers for W/Cu alloy of two compositions, 65/35 and 60/40.