Gamma irradiation-induced changes in the structural, optical, electrical and radiation shielding properties of lithium borate glasses

Abstract

Lithium borate glass with the chemical composition 25Li2O–75B2O3 (LBO) was prepared using the melt quenching technique. The changes in their structural, optical and electrical parameters due to gamma irradiation were investigated and its radiation shielding ability was discussed. The as-prepared glasses were transparent, colourless and inclusion free. The glasses were irradiated for 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100 kGy using a60Co gamma source having a dose rate of 2.906 kGy/h. As the radiation dose increases colour centres were formed in the LBO glass, for higher dosages the glasses turned black. The theoretical structural parameters such as density, optical basicity, ionicity, boron-boron separation, bond density, molar volume and oxygen packing density were calculated. The structural changes were carried out using x-ray diffraction confirming the amorphous nature even after a high dose of gamma irradiation. Gamma irradiation induces the formation of BO4. The bandgap decreases from 3.72 to 3.64 eV with an increase in the dose of gamma irradiation. The dielectric spectroscopy and A.C. conductivity mechanism of the glasses were analyzed. The activation energy of the glasses was calculated before and after gamma irradiation using the Arrhenius plot. High doses of gamma irradiation resulted in an increase in activation energy of LBO glasses which increases from 0.12 eV to 0.42 eV at 100 kHz frequency. The radiation shielding ability of the prepared glass samples was estimated using theoretical simulations by Phy-X/PSD software.