Flexible highly filled composition, resulting protective garment, and methods of making the same

1. A filled composition for radiation shielding, comprising:

at least one polymer ingredient selected from the group consisting of a polyolefin elastomer, a polyolefin co-polymer, a polyolefin ter-polymer, and a combination thereof, wherein the polyolefin elastomer, the polyolefin co-polymer, or the polyolefin ter-polymer comprises monomer units derived from ethylene and at least one vinyl monomer being butene or an alkene having at least five carbon atoms; and

at least 60 weight percent of at least one metal-containing filler other than BaSO 4 the at least one metal-containing filler comprising a metal having an atomic number greater than 50.

2. The filled composition of claim 1 , wherein

the at least one vinyl monomer has from five to ten carbon atoms.

3. The filled composition of claim 1 , wherein

the at least one polymer ingredient comprises a polyolefin elastomer (POE).

4. The filled composition of claim 1 , wherein

the at least one polymer ingredient comprises a polyolefin elastomer (POE), and the POE is a copolymer of ethylene and at least one vinyl monomer selected from the group consisting of butene, pentene, hexene, heptene, octene and a combination thereof.

5. The filled composition of claim 1 , wherein

the at least one polymer ingredient comprises a polyolefin elastomer (POE) comprising a copolymer of ethylene and octene.

6. The filled composition of claim 1 , wherein

the at least one polymer ingredient comprises an olefin block copolymer (OBC) having alternating blocks of rigid and elastomeric segments.

7. The filled composition of claim 1 , wherein

the at least one polymer ingredient comprises an olefin block copolymer (OBC) of ethylene and at least one vinyl monomer selected from the group consisting of butene, pentene, hexene, heptene, octene and a combination thereof.

8. The filled composition of claim 1 , wherein

the at least one polymer ingredient comprises an olefin block copolymer (OBC) of ethylene and octene.

9. The filled composition of claim 1 , wherein

the at least one metal-containing filler comprises Sb, W, Pb, Bi, an alloy thereof, an oxide thereof, a salt thereof, or a combination thereof.

10. The filled composition of claim 1 , wherein

the at least one metal-containing filler is substantially free of Pb, and comprises a filler selected from Sb, W, Bi, or a combination thereof; and optionally the filled composition further comprises BaSO4.

11. The filled composition of claim 1 , further comprising:

an additive package comprising an additive selected from the group consisting of a paraffinic oil, an aromatic oil, an antioxidant, a compatibilizer, an adhesion promoter, a processing aid, and a combination thereof.

12. The filled composition of claim 11 , wherein

the filled composition is cross-linkable, and the additive package further comprises an additive selected from the group consisting of an initiator, a curing agent, an accelerator, and a combination thereof.

13. The filled composition of claim 11 , wherein

the at least one polymer ingredient constitutes from about 0.4 weight percent (wt. %) to about 35 wt. % of the filled composition.

14. The filled composition of claim 11 , wherein

the at least one polymer ingredient constitutes from about 1 wt. % to about 25 wt. % of the filled composition;

the at least one metal-containing filler constitutes from 60 wt. % to about 95 wt. % of the filled composition; and

the additive package constitutes from about 4 wt. % to about 15 wt. % of the filled composition.

15. The filled composition of claim 11 , wherein the filled composition includes:

the at least one polymer ingredient in the range of from about 10 wt. % to about 15 wt. %;

the at least one metal-containing filler in the range of from about 75 wt. % to about 85 wt. %; and

the additive package in the range of from about 5 wt. % to about 10 wt. %.

16. The filled composition of claim 11 , wherein

the additive package comprises a paraffinic oil in the range of from about 5 wt. % to about 9 wt. %.

17. A filled sheet for radiation shielding, comprising:

from about 0.4 wt. % to about 25 wt. % of at least one polymer ingredient selected from the group consisting of a polyolefin elastomer, a polyolefin co-polymer, a polyolefin ter-polymer, and a combination thereof, wherein the polyolefin elastomer, the polyolefin co-polymer, or the polyolefin ter-polymer comprises monomer units derived from ethylene and at least one vinyl monomer being butene or an alkene having at least five carbon atoms;

from about 60 wt. % to 95.5 wt. % of at least one metal-containing filler other than BaSO 4 , the at least one metal-containing filler comprising a metal having an atomic number greater than 50; and

from about 0.1 wt. % to about 15 wt. % of an additive package comprising an additive selected from the group consisting of a paraffinic oil, an aromatic oil, an antioxidant, a compatibilizer, an adhesion promoter, a processing aid, and a combination thereof.

18. The filled sheet of claim 17 , wherein

the at least one polymer ingredient comprises a polyolefin elastomer (POE), which is a copolymer of ethylene and at least one vinyl monomer selected from the group consisting of butene, pentene, hexene, heptene, octene and a combination thereof.

19. The filled sheet of claim 17 , wherein

the at least one polymer ingredient comprises an olefin block copolymer (OBC) of ethylene and at least one vinyl monomer selected from the group consisting of butene, pentene, hexene, heptene, octene and a combination thereof.

20. The filled sheet of claim 17 , wherein

the at least one metal-containing filler comprises Sb, W, Pb, Bi, an alloy thereof, an oxide thereof, a salt thereof, or a combination thereof.

21. A protective garment for radiation shielding, comprising a filled composition comprising:

from about 0.4 wt. % to about 35 wt. % of at least one polymer ingredient selected from the group consisting of a polyolefin elastomer, a polyolefin co-polymer, a polyolefin ter-polymer, and a combination thereof, wherein the polyolefin elastomer, the polyolefin co-polymer, or the polyolefin ter-polymer comprises monomer units derived from ethylene and at least one vinyl monomer being butene or an alkene having at least five carbon atoms;

from about 50 wt. % to 95.5 wt. % of at least one metal-containing filler comprising a metal having an atomic number greater than 50;

from about 0.1 wt. % to about 15 wt. % of an additive package comprising an additive selected from the group consisting of a paraffinic oil, an aromatic oil, an antioxidant, a compatibilizer, an adhesion promoter, a processing aid, and a combination thereof; and

at least one layer of fabric.

22. The protective garment of claim 21 , wherein in the filled composition

the at least one polymer ingredient comprises a polyolefin elastomer (POE), which is a copolymer of ethylene and at least one vinyl monomer selected from the group consisting of butene, pentene, hexene, heptene, octene and a combination thereof.

23. The protective garment of claim 21 , wherein in the filled composition

the at least one polymer ingredient comprises an olefin block copolymer (OBC) of ethylene and at least one vinyl monomer selected from the group consisting of butene, pentene, hexene, heptene, octene and a combination thereof.

24. The protective garment of claim 21 , wherein in the filled composition

the at least one metal-containing filler comprises Sb, W, Ba, Pb, Bi, an alloy thereof, an oxide thereof, a salt thereof, or a combination thereof.

25. The protective garment of claim 21 , wherein the protective garment is in a design selected from the group consisting of a vest-skirt apron, a frontal apron, a thyroid collar, a gonad shield, and a dental apron.

26. The protective garment of claim 21 , wherein the filled composition is uncrosslinked.

27. The protective garment of claim 21 , wherein the filled composition is crosslinked.