Influence of Gd2O3 on structural, optical, radiation shielding, and mechanical properties of borate glasses

Abstract

The continual need for new glasses in the field of radiation arises from the imperative to advance protective eyewear designs, incorporating cutting-edge materials and technology to effectively shield professionals from ionizing radiation while adhering to evolving safety standards. In this comprehensive study, the structural, optical, radiation shielding, and mechanical properties of borate glasses with Gd2O3 addition (0, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, mol %), were investigated. The gamma radiation shielding properties were investigated theoretically by using MCNP6.2 software. The linear attenuation coefficient (LAC) of have been obtained experimentally and some shielding parameters such as MAC, MFP, HVL, TVL, Zeff, Neff, and RCS have been calculated. Furthermore, XRD, UV–Vis, FT-IR spectroscopic analysis were conducted. The XRD patterns revealed an amorphous structure. As the concentration of Gd2O3 increased, the UV–visible spectrum displayed a higher number of energy transitions. The physical and mechanical characteristics such as bond strength, packing density, the number of bridging oxygen atoms, and the molar oxygen volume were determined. The best radiation and mechanical properties were obtained in the 3 % Gd2O3 doped glass compound with 104.211 GPa Young's modulus, 1.215 MPa m1/2 Fracture Toughness, 2.89 eV Band Gap Energy, 0.1488 ± 0.0074 cm−1 LAC value.