Radiation shielding performance of tellurium–thallium and tellurium–lead oxide glass systems

Abstract

In this study, TeO2–Tl2O and TeO2–PbO glasses with various compositions were investigated for γ-ray shielding using Phy-X and MCNPX Code. A comparative analysis of the obtained results were performed. The effective atomic number and various parameters, including the mean free path, mass attenuation coefficient, linear attenuation coefficient, and half value layer, were determined in the energy range of 0.01 MeV–15 MeV. It was found that 90TeO2–10Tl2O glass exhibit the lowest linear attenuation coefficient among the studied samples. At 60 keV, the 82TeO2–18Tl2O and 90TeO2–10Tl2O glasses had half-values of T1/2 = 0.00094 cm and 0.00105 cm, respectively. At 100 keV, the mean free path of the examined materials is estimated to be 0.004 cm and 0.005 cm. The rise in effective atomic number was explained as a greater number of electrons available for photon interaction, which led to a lower chance of γ-ray transit through the shielding material. These results collectively underscore the potential of these glass compositions, particularly those containing thallium to be use as effective shielding materials. These materials have growing importance of effective radiation protection in various fields, including medical imaging, nuclear power, and space exploration.