Radiation shielding performance of (SmEuYbLaEr)2TaO4 high-entropy oxide reinforced Cu matrix composites

High-entropy oxides (HEOs) containing rare earth elements are attracting increasing interest due to their thermal stability and potential for use in radiation shielding applications. In this study, the high-entropy oxide (SmEuYbLaEr)2TaO4 was synthesized via mechanical alloying (MA) followed by calcination and incorporated into a Cu matrix at different reinforcement levels to produce volumetric composites. Structural, thermal, and microstructural analyses confirmed the successful formation of a stable HEO phase and its effective dispersion within the Cu matrix. The radiation shielding performance of the composites was experimentally evaluated over a wide range of photon energies using standard gamma-ray sources. The results showed that shielding performance depends largely on both photon energy and HEO content. Increasing the HEO concentration significantly reduced the half-value layer (HVL) while substantially increasing the mass attenuation coefficient (MAC) and radiation protection efficiency (RPE), particularly in the low- and medium-energy regions where the photoelectric effect is dominant. Among the materials studied, the Cu composite containing 20 wt% HEO exhibited the best overall shielding performance. These results demonstrate that (SmEuYbLaEr)2TaO4 is an effective additive for improving the radiation shielding capability of Cu-based composites and highlight its potential for advanced radiation protection applications.