Tailoring a correlation between fracture resistance improvement, elastic moduli, mechanical and nuclear radiation shielding properties for sodium-borate glasses through Gallium(III) oxide incorporation

Abstract

In the event of unanticipated events or emergency situations, such as equipment malfunctions or accidents, it is crucial for radiation shielding materials to preserve their structural integrity. Enhancing the fracture resistance of glasses has a wide range of benefits that extend to safety, durability, cost savings, energy efficiency, environmental considerations, technological innovation, consumer confidence, manufacturing efficiency, and reduced downtime. This research examines the characteristics of sodium-borate glasses with a nominal composition of 25Na2O-xGa2O3-(75-x)B2O3, (where x: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 27.5, and 30 mol%). The aim is to enhance fracture resistant qualities and radiation absorption with the addition of Ga2O3 into the glass composition. In addition to elastic moduli and mechanical properties, gamma-ray and fast neutron removal cross section values are determined for each glass sample. In addition to enhancing mechanical characteristics and elastic moduli, the use of Ga2O3 reinforcement has shown notable improvements in the gamma-ray and fast neutron absorption properties of sodium-borate glass samples. The NGB31.4 sample demonstrated the highest level of improvement in gamma-ray and neutron absorption characteristics. For example, the mass attenuation coefficients were calculated as 1.86645 cm2/g, 1.92189 cm2/g, 1.98875 cm2/g, 2.04052 cm2/g, 2.10506 cm2/g, 2.16271 cm2/g, and 2.17266 cm2/g for NGB5, NGB10, NGB15, NGB20, NGB25, NGB30.5, and NGB31.4 at 15 MeV photon energy, respectively. This enhancement was accomplished by incorporating Ga2O3 into the baseline sample at a mole percentage of 31.4 %. Hence, it can be concluded that the incorporation of Ga2O3 into sodium-borate glasses has the potential to serve as a systematic mechanism, leading to enhancements in mechanical strength and radiation absorption characteristics, thereby making these glasses more suitable for their intended applications. Among these samples, the greatest level of integration observed was 31.4 % mole Ga2O3. The lack of ability to examine the behavioral alterations resulting from higher Ga2O3 content in sodium-borate glasses may be regarded as a limitation of the present study. However, it is very advisable to do more research among the scientific community to thoroughly explore the potential impact of Ga2O3 on sodium-borate glasses.