Lead Lined Gypsum Board
For over 80+ years, Ray-Bar has manufactured and supplied lead-lined drywall, also known as lead-lined sheetrock or lead-lined gypsum board, and shielded wall panels, including lead-backed lathboard, designed to provide superior radiation shielding protection and fire resistance. The lead layer laminated to the backside in the drywall blocks X-rays and gamma rays ionizing radiation, making it suitable for use in medical diagnostic imaging facilities, dental X-ray offices, veterinary clinics, and industrial NDT settings that utilize high-level radiation.
With full customization options and typical one-day fast fabrication times, Ray-Bar provides lead-lined sheetrock panels that meet your exact specification requirements, distributed and readily available Nationwide in the USA, Canada, South America, and globally.
Lead Lined Sheetrock
Product Information
Ray-Bar's lead-lined drywall features a layer of pure lead attached to the back of the gypsum board panel through a high-pressure lamination process in our factory. This pure sheet lead meets strict specifications for the highest purity of 99.9% (as required per Federal Specification QQ-L-201 F, Grade C) and provides optimal radiation attenuation shielding performance (ASTM B749-03, Type L51121). Lead-lined drywall is available in two thicknesses, ½" and ⅝," and is manufactured to meet UL fire testing and certification requirements and the fire safety standards outlined in ASTM C 1396 and NFPA 80.
In fact, Ray-Bar was the first ever to test and pass Underwriters Laboratories fire testing and acquire a UL listing and certification with Ray-Bar lead backed board type "RB-LBG" UL Listing No. R19213 for vertical installation in the UL wall partition Design U430 for 1-hour and 2-hour ratings. Ray-Bar board type "RB-LBG" is also approved and listed in Canadian ULC listings, and currently is approved in over 28+ active UL fire-rated wall Partition Designs and meets the Fire Resistance requirements and testing procedures of ANSI/UL 263 and ASTM E119. It is available in either wood stud or metal stud wall construction, with 7 different gypsum board manufacturers and over 24 types of drywall boards to meet any unique partition design applications. Special 3-hour and 4-hour fire rating designs are also available.
For very Heavy Lead Shielding applications Ray-Bar Lead Backed ½" or ¾" Fire Resistant Plywood is available.
Key Features of Ray-Bar's Lead Lined Drywall
- Available in 1/2", 5/8”, and 3/4” drywall thickness
- In 1-Hour, 2-Hour, 3-Hour, and up to 4-Hour partition Designs
- Includes 2" wide vertical batten strips and lead discs for screw penetrations
- Typical one-day fast fabrication and availability times, shipping Nationally and Globally
- 12 standard lead shielding thicknesses
- Lead height options from 7'0", 8’0”, 9’0” and up to 12'0”
- Optional mold-resistant, abuse-resistant, high-impact, and other specialized board types
Sheet lead backing must be equal or greater value to the lead in the wall partition where penetration occurs.
Detailed Specifications for Lead Lined Sheetrock
For detailed specifications, see Ray-Bar Lead Backed Drywall Specification. Shielding requirements should be determined by a qualified health radiation physicist. See Shielding Information for more information.
View the Ray-Bar Sheet Lead Thickness Chart to see the listings of in-stock lead thicknesses available for lead-lined walls and lead-backed drywall / lead-lined sheetrock in both imperial and metric conversions.
NCRP Requirements for Radiation Shielding Lead Lined Drywall
The current NCRP Report #147(2004)1.5 General Concepts, states:
"Radiation shielding shall be designed by a qualified expert to ensure the required degree of protection is achieved."
"The qualified expert should be consulted during the early planning stages since the shielding requirements may affect the choice of location of radiation facilities and type of building construction. The qualified expert should be provided with all pertinent information regarding the proposed radiation equipment and its use, type of building construction, and occupancy of nearby areas. It may be necessary to submit the final shielding drawings and specifications to pertinent regulatory agencies for review prior to construction."
"The term "qualified expert" used in this report is defined as a medical physicist or medical health physicist who is competent to design radiation shielding for medical x-ray imaging facilities. The qualified expert is a person who is certified by the American Board of Radiology, American Board of Health Physics, or the Canadian College of Physicists in Medicine".
*Please Note that the above use of the word "shall" indicates a requirement, and the word "should" indicates a recommendation.
*NCRP is the "National Council of Radiation Protection". *NCRP report #147 supersedes the previous NCRP report #49.
*NCRP is the Federal Radiation Safety Code for the "National Council of Radiation Protection." *NCRP report #147 supersedes the previous NCRP report #49.
Contact Us to Learn How Ray-Bar Can Supply Lead Lined Gypsum Board for Your Application
Contact Ray-Bar online or call (800)444-9729 to learn how we can provide radiation-shielding lead-lined drywall for your custom application. To receive pricing information on special orders, request a quote. Need other protective materials for your application? Explore Ray-Bar's selection of industry-leading lead-lined plywood, fire-rated drywall, X-ray-shielding glass, radiation-shielding windows, and other materials. For all your commercial and industrial radiation-shielding needs, choose Ray-Bar Engineering.
