Radiation Protection

There are three radiation protection principles: time, distance and shielding. Glass is a good provider of shielding against some types of radiation. X-ray facilities often use leaded glass screens to protect the operators, and radiation-protection glass is also used in PET-scan (positron emission tomography) apparatuses. There is also special nuclear radiation protection glass, which is used to make viewing windows in nuclear power installations. Within the nuclear sector, glass takes the form of large blocks used for radiation shielding windows, with individual blocks sometimes weighing over 4 tonnes. Lead and non-lead containing glasses can be stabilised against radiation-induced browning through the addition of cerium oxide.