Enhancing optical and radiation shielding properties: A dive into Bi2O3-Infused glasses

Abstract

In the world of contemporary glass research, the subtle interplay between composition and resulting properties is of paramount importance. The structural, optical, and gamma-ray attenuation properties of BiNb(x) glasses having a formula xBi2O3–(20-x)Nb2O5–B2O3–Li2O–SiO2 (where x = 0,5,10,15 and 20 mol%) were investigated. This study delves deep into the transformative role of Bi2O3 when introduced into the glass matrix, a journey from opacity to enlightening transparency. The density of the BiNb glass system was found to increase from 4.579 g/cm3 for pristine to 5.439 gm/cm3 for BiNb20. XRD analysis testifies the transfer of a pristine sample from a crystalline to a fully amorphous, with Bi2O3 as the catalyst. UV–visible spectra were investigated, and optical parameters were extracted. The optical bandgap (Eg) was decreased from 4eV for BiNb0 to 3.83eV for BiNb20. In addition, Eg value was used to evaluate the refractive index of the prepared BiNb glasses using various theoretical models. The refractive index of the Moss model increases from 2.208 for BiNb0 to 2.229 for BiNb20, besides the Moss, Herve-Vandamme, and Kumar-Singh models are compatible. The studied glass samples show a metallization criterion within the range of 0.434–0.447, indicating the potential for new optical materials with good nonlinearity. Moreover, gamma rays with energy ranging from 0.015 MeV to 15 MeV are used to highlight the shielding capabilities of the glasses. As the Bi2O3 fraction increases and the Nb2O5 decreases, the shielding capability of the prepared BiNb glass system increases.