Ghacem, Ghana’s leading cement manufacturer, has partnered with the Department of Physics of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) on a research project to investigate the scientific use of cement as a shielding material to reduce the impact of radiation in the radiological industry.
The project, titled “Radiological Shielding Properties of GHACEM Cement,” aims to improve the radio-mechanical shielding properties of Ghacem cement.
The research team will mould a light concrete slab that can be used as a shielding material to protect personnel who work with radiation sources from the direct effects of radiation.
Shielding is a critical issue in X-ray facilities, nuclear medicine facilities, nuclear power plants, and radiotherapy facilities. Lead has long been considered the material of choice for radiation shielding due to its attenuating properties, but it is expensive.
This research project is timely, as it has the potential to boost the local industry by making Ghacem cement a cheaper alternative to lead as a shielding material in these industries.
The research team from KNUST visited the Ghacem Tema factory on September 13, 2023, to present an update on the research and to interact with management on how best to facilitate the project. The team met with top officials of the company, including the Technical Director, Mr. Okay Kilinc; the Commercial Director, Mr. Kwasi Kyere; the Quality Assurance Manager, Ing. John Teye Ohipeni; the Human Resource Director Cluster 1, Mr. Joel Lawson; the General Manager WAQL, Mr. Eric Amanor; and other managers of various sections of the company. The KNUST team was led by Dr. Eric Addison, Head Nuclear Science and Technology-Department of Physics; Dr. Martin Owusu-Mensah, Lecturer Department of Physics; and Mr. Joseph Adom, Lecturer Department of Physics.
Speaking to newsmen after the presentations, Mr. Kilinc said that Ghacem is committed to bringing out useful and innovative products for the country, and that is why the company has partnered with KNUST on this project.
“We expect that at the end of the project, Ghacem cement, which is a made-in-Ghana product, will be used to create radiological shields against X-rays or any radiological source to be used in the future nuclear power in Ghana or in hospitals or research centers. Radioactive sources are dangerous for humans, so avoiding the expensive method of using lead and replacing it with concrete to protect people against radioactivity is economically good.”
“As the market leader in Ghana, we would like to use more local/made-in-Ghana products. We want to stop importation as much as possible. We want to replace lead, which is a scarce product, with lightweight concrete to protect people from radioactivity.”
Dr. Addison recalled that the team had been looking at the radiological shielding properties of cement products in the country for some years now. “We sampled cement from various companies looking at the shielding properties, and we realized that Ghacem was very promising, so we approached the company for partnership/support.”
“At the end of the research, we hope to come out with the scientific characterization of the cement product and how we can improve on the shielding properties to both radiomechanical properties and to really show that Ghacem has something that makes the nuclear industry and radiological industry very promising in terms of shielding properties.”
Dr. Addison thanked Ghacem for its contribution to the Physics Department and the University. “This is what we want others to emulate. To really sponsor scientific projects that really have direct impact on the local economy.”
