Tailoring glass radiation shielding properties through the Integration of ZnO and CaO

Abstract

In this study, borate glasses with a general formula of (80-x-y)B2O3–10BaO–10Na2O-xZnO-yCaO, where x = 10, 15, 20 and 25 mol %, and y = 5, 10, 15 and 20 mol % were prepared. The radiation shielding capabilities of the prepared glass system were investigated at a wide energy range of 0.015 MeV–15 MeV. The data reveal that, the values of the mass attenuation coefficient (MAC) vaired between 20.043 and 32.435 cm2/g at 0.015 MeV. The MAC demonstrated that the increase of the ZnO and CaO content within the glasses leads to increase the MAC values, and improve the absorption ability of the glasses. The relation between the density of the glasses and their linear attenuation coefficients (LAC) were studied. A positive linear relationship between LAC and density has been fond. At 0.150 MeV, the LAC values are 0.804, 0.874, 0.945, and 1.020 cm−1 for the glass with 5, 10, 15 and 20 mol % of CaO in the order, respectively. We also evaluated the ratio of half value layer (HVL) for all prepared glass samples with lowest and highest density. The results revealed that the calculated ratio of HVL is always >1. This means that the Zn25Ca20 sample requires a smaller thickness to attenuate the same number of photons as betweenZn10Ca5. This is desirable in situations where space is a constraints well as costs as a smaller material can be used. This study uniquely highlights the combined impact of ZnO and CaO on enhancing the radiation shielding performance of borate glasses, offering a novel approach to developing more efficient materials.