| Raw Barite Selection | Natural barite ore, primarily barium sulfate (BaSO4) | Material is selected according to mineral purity, specific gravity, moisture content, and color consistency. | Chemical composition, specific gravity, moisture, visible contamination, and particle-size suitability | Provides the high-density mineral phase required for attenuation of diagnostic X-rays. |
| Crushing and Grinding | Sized barite aggregate or barite powder | Ore is reduced to a controlled powder or fine aggregate size to promote uniform distribution in the gypsum matrix. | Particle-size distribution, oversize percentage, powder flowability, and absence of hard lumps | Improves mix uniformity and reduces local variations in shielding density. |
| Gypsum Binder Preparation | Calcined gypsum, water, setting regulators, starch or other board additives | Dry ingredients are dosed by mass and combined with water under controlled mixing conditions. | Water-to-solids ratio, setting time, slurry temperature, viscosity, and mix homogeneity | Creates a workable matrix that binds the dense barite particles into a stable panel. |
| Barite-Gypsum Blending | Prepared gypsum slurry and graded barite powder or fine aggregate | Barite content is adjusted according to the required panel density, thickness, handling characteristics, and shielding design. | Uniformity of dispersion, absence of segregation, mix density, and workability | Balances radiation attenuation, mechanical strength, manufacturability, and installation weight. |
| Board Forming | Barite-gypsum core and treated paper or reinforcing facer | The core is formed between facers or within a mold, followed by edge shaping and thickness control. | Panel thickness, width, length, edge profile, surface flatness, and facer adhesion | Produces panels with consistent geometry for wall, ceiling, or room-lining applications. |
| Initial Setting | Formed barite-gypsum board | The gypsum binder hydrates and gains sufficient green strength before handling and drying. | Set time, edge integrity, core cohesion, surface defects, and dimensional stability | Prevents deformation and cracking during transfer to the drying system. |
| Controlled Drying | Set panels containing chemically bound and free moisture | Drying temperature, airflow, and residence time are controlled to remove free moisture without damaging the core or facers. | Residual moisture, warping, blistering, cracking, core strength, and facer bonding | Improves dimensional stability, storage durability, and installation performance. |
| Cutting and Finishing | Dried shielding panels | Panels are trimmed, edge-finished, inspected, and optionally prepared with special profiles or fixing details. | Cut accuracy, edge squareness, corner condition, surface finish, and visible damage | Ensures accurate jointing and practical installation on shielding partitions. |
| Physical Performance Testing | Finished sample panels | Samples are tested using documented laboratory procedures appropriate to the declared product specification. | Density, thickness, flexural strength, water absorption where applicable, and dimensional tolerances | Confirms repeatability of the board structure and basic mechanical performance. |
| Radiation-Shielding Verification | Representative finished panels and installed wall assemblies | Shielding performance is evaluated for the specified radiation energy range, panel thickness, joints, penetrations, and installation arrangement. | Measured transmission or attenuation, test geometry, beam energy, joint treatment, and report traceability | Demonstrates suitability for the project-specific shielding design rather than relying only on material density. |
| Packaging and Dispatch | Finished panels, protective separators, pallets, and moisture-resistant wrapping | Panels are stacked on level supports and protected against impact, excessive moisture, and edge damage during transport. | Package integrity, panel count, identification labels, pallet stability, and shipping documentation | Maintains product condition and provides traceability from production through installation. |