GE Plastics (Pittsfield, Mass.) has launched LNP Thermocomp, a new line of thermoplastic materials with high specific gravity, intended to replace lead in many health care applications that call for radiation shielding. Medical equipment and devices that produce X-rays and gamma rays must be shielded to protect operators, clinicians, patients and sensitive electronic components from tube leakage and room scatter. The high-density compounds enable X-ray shielding solutions without the use of known toxic substances while providing extensive design freedom and high-volume, low-cost manufacturing capability through the use of injection molding, says the company.