Development of Advanced, Non-toxic, X-ray Radiation Shielding Glass Possessing Barium, Boron Substituted Kornerupine Crystallites in the Glassy Matrix

Abstract

Conventionally lead based radiation shielding glasses find application in Diagnostic X ray room. However, the production and recycling of lead containing glasses posse’s health hazards and therefore there is an urgent need to develop lead free, non-toxic radiation shielding glasses useful for Diagnostic X-ray rooms and many other shielding applications. The major glass forming constituents includes oxide of alkali and alkaline earth metals etc. The simultaneous presence of glass forming and shielding imparting chemical constituents present in brine sludge (BS)—a waste generated in chloral alkali industries, enabling synergistic chemical reaction among other raw materials namely fly ash (FA) and Borax (B2O3), have been chemically formulated and designed for Developing shielding Kornerupine crystallites embedded in the developed lead free homogenous shielding glass by a novel process (The patent application has been filed in India Ref. No. 0059NF2016). Shielding glasses with composition xBS:(80-X)B2O3:20 FA, where (x = 35, 40, 45, 50 wt%) have been prepared using melt process followed by annealing method. The developed shielding glass has been characterized using complementary sophisticated instrumental techniques such as FESEM, EDS XRD, IR and TG/DSC and SEM for identifying shielding crystallites embedded in the developed glassy matrix. The X-ray attenuation test of the developed glass has shown that these glasses can find broad application spectrum ranging from diagnostic X-ray room to various functional accessories of shielding appliances being used in technical, medical and research applications. Graphical abstract of development of advanced, non-toxic, X-ray radiation shielding glass possessing barium, boron substituted kornerupine crystallites in the glassy matrix