Newly Developed Vanadium-Based Glasses and Their Potential for Nuclear Radiation Shielding Aims: A Monte Carlo Study on Gamma Ray Attenuation Parameters.

Huseyin Ozan Tekin,Yasser Saad Rammah,Hesham M H Zakaly,Shams A M Issa,Ghaida Bilal,Emad M Ahmed,Gokhan Kilic,Antoaneta Ene

doi:10.3390/ma14143897

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate different types of glasses based on the 46V2O5-46P2O5-(8-x) B2O3-xCuO system in terms of their nuclear radiation shielding properties. Accordingly, five different CuO-doped vanadate glasses were investigated extensively to determine the necessary gamma shielding parameters along with effective conductivity at 300,000 and buildup factors. Phy-x PSD software was used for determination of these vital parameters. Furthermore, these parameters, such as half value layer, tenth value layer, and mean free path were investigated in a broad energy range between 0.015 and 15 MeV. The results revealed that the amount of CuO reinforced in each sample plays an essential role in determination of the shielding abilities of the samples. The sample with the highest CuO content had the highest linear attenuation coefficient and mass attenuation coefficient values. Additionally, the lowest mean free path, half value layer, and tenth value layer values were recorded for glass sample VPCu8. There was an inverse relation between the effective conductivity and effective atomic number and photon energy; that is, as energy increases, the effective conductivity and effective atomic number decreased rapidly, especially in the regions of low energy. Glass sample VPCu8 reported the highest values for both parameters. Moreover, glass sample VPCu8 had the lowest exposure buildup factor and energy absorption buildup factor values. Our findings showed that CuO-reinforced vanadate glass composition, namely 46V2O5-46P2O5-8CuO, with a glass density of 2.9235 g/cm3, was reported to have superior gamma ray attenuation properties. These results would be helpful for scientists in determining the most appropriate additive rare earth type, as well as the most appropriate glass composition, to offer shielding characteristics similar to those described above, taking into consideration the criteria for usage and the needs of the community. The results of this research will be useful to the scientific community in evaluating the prospective characteristics of CuO-doped glass systems and related glass compositions. CuO-doped glass systems and associated glass compositions have a wide range of properties.

Highlights

With the widespread use of radiation sources and radioactive materials in today’s world, it is more important than ever to use radiation sources carefully and safely
Our results indicate that the superior VPCu8 sample has lower half value layer (HVL) values than ordinary concrete (OC) at the photon energies investigated
The sample with the highest Cu content showed the greatest attenuation of gamma rays, indicating that CuO reinforcement has a potent anti-nuclear radiation property

Summary

Introduction

With the widespread use of radiation sources and radioactive materials in today’s world, it is more important than ever to use radiation sources carefully and safely. Vanadate-based glasses have garnered considerable attention in recent decades due to their low crystallization tendency, low melting point, excellent semiconducting properties, chemical resistance, and thermal conductivity, among other properties that make them an excellent material for a variety of applications. These glasses exhibit semiconducting properties due to the electron hopping behavior of vanadium ions between the V4+ and V5+ valence states. This has disadvantages for vanadium-based glasses, including decreased transparency.

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