Effect of strontium oxide on radiation shielding features and elastic properties on zinc borotellurite glass system

Abstract

A total of five zinc borotellurite glass samples containing with strontium oxide at various molar fractions of x = 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.04 and 0.05 was prepared, utilizing the conventional melt-quenching technique. The chemical composition of the prepared glass samples can be presented using the formula of [(TeO2)0.7(B2O3)0.3)0.7(ZnO)0.3]1-x(SrO)x. The structural features of the samples were analyzed by using the X-ray Diffraction (XRD) spectroscopy and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) analysis. Amorphous nature of the glass samples was proven by the exhibited XRD spectra while results obtained from the FTIR analysis proved the presence of functional groups such as TeO4, BO4 and BO3. The results obtained show that the density increased simultaneously with molar fraction while the molar volume decreases with the inclination of molar fraction. The elastic moduli and other elastic parameters such as Poisson's ratio, microhardness, softening temperature and Debye temperature were derived from the ultrasonic velocities obtained through the ultrasonic pulse technique and were found to exhibit a fluctuating trend with the increase of SrO concentration. The results obtained proved that the addition of SrO as a dopant in the prepared zinc borotellurite glass system has affected the elastic properties of the glass. Photon and neutron shielding characteristics of SrO glasses were studied using theoretical and simulation techniques. The SrO content has the significant impact on the photon and neutron shielding properties. Photon and neutron shielding properties ascends with increment of SrO content. 0.05SrO possess the highest photon and fast neutron attenuation properties in the studied SrO glasses.