Radiation Shielding Competence Research Articles

Comprehensive study of optical, thermal, and gamma-ray shielding properties of Bi2O3–ZnO–PbO–B2O3 glasses

Abstract The Bi2O3–ZnO–PbO–B2O3 (BiZPB) glasses are prepared using the melt-quenching technique. As the concentration of lead oxide increases, the band gap energy (E g) decreases from 2.864 to 2.671 eV. The BiZPB glasses exhibit remarkable stability under thermal stress, as indicated by the thermogravimetric analysis graph, with only a marginal 0.5% loss in their initial mass. The decrease in the glass transition temperature (T g) of BiZPB glasses, with an increase in the PbO concentration, can be attributed to the specific influence of PbO on the glass structure and properties. The radiation shielding performance for the prepared glasses is evaluated using Phy-X software. The transmission factor (TF) for the 10B2O3–10ZnO–40PbO–40B2O3 glass sample is almost zero at 0.122 MeV, which means that this glass sample can attenuate almost all the photons with an energy of 0.122 MeV, whereas the TF values for this sample with thicknesses of 0.5 and 1 cm are 88 and 77%, respectively., it can be observed from the TF values that the prepared glasses have good attenuation performance against low energy (0.122, 0.245, and 0.344 MeV), while they have weak shielding performance against high energy radiation. The addition of PbO causes a reduction in TF, which means that the addition of an extra amount of PbO into the glasses results in an enhancement in the radiation shielding competence of the samples. The average half-value layer ( HVL ̅ \bar{{\rm{HVL}}} ) is also calculated. The results demonstrated that HVL ̅ \bar{{\rm{HVL}}} is at its lowest between 0.248 and 0.411 MeV, ranging between 0.396 and 0.513 cm.

Indirect effect of elevated temperature on radiation shielding competence through modulations of crystals' intrinsic tetrahedral parameters: A case study of berlinite, SiO2-type AlPO4

This paper investigates the indirect influence of elevated temperature on the radiation protections competence of berlinite (SiO2-type AlPO4) by examining the modulations of its intrinsic tetrahedral parameters. The study focuses on the temperature-dependent changes in the crystal structure of berlinite and their influence on its radiation attenuation properties. The lattice parameter a, and c, c/a ratio, unit cell volume (Vc), atomic packing factor (APF), and other factors such as the atomic arrangement, atomic interactions, and crystal defects are analyzed in relation to the MAC and LAC. The calculations are performed for berlinite AlPO4 samples prepared at temperatures ranging from 25 °C to 631 °C. The results reveal that the LAC values of berlinite AlPO4 are changed from 14.65 to 15.39 cm−1, indicating stable linear attenuation properties across the temperature range. The lattice parameters, Vc, and APF exhibit linear relationships with the LAC values, suggesting their significance in determining the radiation attenuation capabilities.

Impacts of BaO additions on structure, linear/nonlinear optical properties and radiation shielding competence of BaO–NiO–ZnO–B2O3 glasses

The purpose of this research is to study the structure, optical and radiation shielding effectiveness of radiation shielding glasses based on the formula [x BaO–(80-X) B2O3– 1NiO–11ZnO]; x = 8, 16, 24 and 32 mol%] have been obtained from melt quenching method. The density was increased from 2.861 (± 0.001) g.cm−3 to 3.119 (± 0.001) g.cm−3 due to an effective concentration of BaO. Furthermore, the vibrational investigations confirmed the conversion from trigonally-coordinated boron units (B O3) to tetrahedrally-coordinated boron units (B O4) with progressive enhancement in tetrahedrally-coordinated boron ratio (N4), besides a significant deterioration in non-bridging oxygen units (NBOs) inside the glass network due to the further concentrations of BaO. Optical studies showed the increase in optical band gaps from 3.22 (± 0.01) eV to 3.40 (± 0.01) eV with further concentrations of BaO from 8 to 32 mol%. This increment was attributed to the reduced NBO concentrations inside the glass network. Moreover, the nonlinear optical parameters showed decreased values due to the effective addition of BaO. Furthermore, the radiation shielding studies showed that the addition of BaO to the present glasses is an effective way to improve their radiation shielding performance. Additionally, to better understand the radiation protection provided by these glasses, a comparison of their half-value layers (HVL) with those of previously reported glasses was carried out at 0.662 MeV of photon energies. This comparison confirmed the improved radiation shielding performance of the present glass system.

Radiation shielding performance of recycled waste CRT glasses doped with Li2O and Y2O3: Potential applications in medical facilitates

In this study, waste cathode ray tube screen glass (WCSG) doped with Li2O and Y2O3 was prepared and investigated for physical properties, structural definition, and their charged radiation and neutron shielding competence through a series of experimental and theoretical approaches. Using the cold isostatic press method, WCSG-infused Li2O + Y2O3 composite glass ceramic samples were prepared. The Li2O + Y2O3 composite concentrations were varied from 0 (STV), 10 (STV-YLI1), and 20 (STV-YLI2) wt%. The prepared glasses were sintered, and their crystal structure and surface microstructure were probed using the XRD technique and SEM images. The prepared samples were analysed for their radiation shielding abilities, starting from the computation of parameters related to their interaction with charged radiation and neutrons. The ESTAR, PSTAR, ASTAR, and STRIM software. In addition, the fast neutron (FN) removal cross section (FNRCS) and thermal neutron (TN) total cross-section (σtot) for the prepared glasses were evaluated theoretically using established models. The XRD spectra of the samples showed distinct crystalline structure and the formation of glass-ceramic material. The addition of the Li2O + Y2O3 composite reduced surface pores, increased hardness, and increased the sample density. The Vickers hardness values were calculated as 495, 527, and 552 HV for the STV, STV-YLi1, and STV-YLi2 samples, respectively, while the corresponding densities were 2.506, 2.592, and 2.634 g/cm3. The addition of Li2O + Y2O3 to the WCSG slightly improved the glass-ceramic system's charged particle shielding ability. The FNRCS of STV, STV-YLi1, and STV-YLi2 are 0.0775, 0.0827, and 0.0867 cm-1 respectively. The ability of the prepared glass ceramics to absorb fast and thermal neutrons improved with the addition of Li2O + Y2O3. The materials are recommended for use as environmental friendly radiation shields.

X-ray shielding properties of bismuth-borate glass doped with rare earth ions

Abstract In this study, the X-ray shielding competence of the 15Bi2O3 + 75H3BO2 + 10Sm2O3, 15Bi2O3 + 75H3BO2 + 10Nd2O3, and 15Bi2O3 + 75H3BO2 + 10CeO2 glasses was investigated using the Phy-X/PSD simulation software and validated using the XCOM simulation software. The Sm3+-doped bismuth-borate glass gave the highest linear attenuation coefficients and effective atomic number, and the lowest half-value layer, tenth-value layer, and mean free path. Thus, it is the most effective radiation shielding material compared to the Nd3+- and Ce4+-doped bismuth-borate glasses. It was also observed that the Sm3+-doped bismuth-borate glass also has better radiation-shielding competence than various glass systems that have been recently investigated in the literature.

The radiation shielding competence and imaging spectroscopic based studies of Iron ore region of Kozhikode district, Kerala

Hyperspectral data and its ability to explore the minerals and their associated rocks have a remarkable application in mineral exploration and lithological characterization. The present study aims to explore the radiation shielding aspects of the iron ore in Kerala with the aid of the Hyperion hyperspectral dataset. The reflectance-spectra obtained from the laboratory conditions as well as from the image show various absorptions. The results from the spectra are validated with geochemical data and GPS points. The Monte Carlo simulation employed to evaluate the radiation shielding ability. Raising the oxygen ions caused a noteworthy decrease in the μ values of the studied rocks which is accompanied by an increase in Δ0.5 and Δeq values. The Δ0.5 and Δeq values increased by factors of approximately 77 % with raising the oxygen ions between 44.32 and 47.57 wt.%. The μ values varies with the oxygen concentrations, where the μ values decreased from 2.531 to 0.925 cm−1 (at 0.059 MeV), from 0.381to 0.215 cm−1 (at 0.662 MeV), and from 0.279 to 0.158 cm−1 (at 1.25 MeV) with raising the oxygen ions from 44.32 to 47.43 wt.%.

Recycling of waste cathode-ray tube glasses as building materials for shielding structures in medical and nuclear facilities

In view of the low market demand and toxic elements contained in cathode ray tubes (CRT), a sustainable method of recycling CRT glasses has become important from the perspectives of waste management and the ecosystem. This research investigated the environmental and economic benefits of the panel (PCRT) and cone (CCRT) glasses, from conventional CRT, as building materials in medical and nuclear facilities. The chemical composition of the two glasses was quantified using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) equipment. The nuclear shielding ability of the CCRT and PCRT was investigated by estimating interaction parameters directly linked to photons, charged particles (CP) (β, H+, He2+, and C6+), fissile neutrons, and thermal neutrons. The mass attenuation coefficients (MAC) of the glasses were determined by FLUKA simulations and XCOM. The CP stopping powers and range were computed using the ESTAR, PSTAR, ASTAR, and SRIM software. The cross sections for fast and thermal neutrons were used to determine the neutron moderating and absorption abilities of the two glasses. The CCRT showed greater gamma, fast neutron, thermal neutron, and CP attenuation capacity relative to the PCRT. The CCRT thus contributes more to the radiation shielding competence of CRT than the PCRT. The photon shielding proficiency of the glasses was found to be superior to many standard shielding materials. Hence, PCRT, CCRT, and therefore CRT could improve the shielding capacity of a medium. The use of CRT glass for producing radiation-protective glasses is a viable way of eradicating waste CRT from the environment.

Assessment of structural, physical properties as well as radiation safety competence of lithium borate glass-ceramics: Experimental and theoretical evaluation

Samples of lithium borate glass-ceramics with a composition of 40Li2B4O7 + xBi2O3 + (55-x) ZrO4 + 5CaWO4 (x = 10–50 wt%) have been fabricated via ordinary melt quenching route. The physical and structural features have been investigated. Radiation shielding competence has been examined experimentally using an Ultra Ge detector with the 133Ba (3 Ci) radioisotope source and theoretically via EpiXS software. X-ray diffraction showed that the structure of the B1 sample has large crystal particle sizes. However, the structure with the smallest amount of ZrO4 and the largest amount of Bi2O3 has become completely amorphous (sample B5). The density of the synthesized samples were noticed to change between 4.70 to 5.99 g cm−3 for B1 and B5 samples, respectively. The B5 sample with high density possessed the highest mass attenuation coefficient (MAC) among other samples. There is an agreement between experimental and theoretical data. The trend of the linear attenuation coefficient (LAC) is the same as that of the MAC. At any certain energy, the half-value layer (HVL) is arranged as; (HVL)B5 > (T1/2)B4 > (T1/2)B3 > (T1/2)B2 > (T1/2)B1. The mean free path (MFP) of the investigated samples is similar to that of the HVL. The recommended glass ceramics can be used as radiation shielding materials.

Radiation shielding competence of chalcogenide alloys with high Te content

In this research paper, we report on the radiation shielding ability of five newly developed chalcogenide alloys described by the chemical compositions of Ge20Sb6Te72Bi2 (GTSB1), Ge20Sb6Te70Bi4 (GTSB2), Ge20Sb6Te68Bi6 (GTSB3), Ge20Sb6Te66Bi8 (GTSB4), and Ge20Sb6Te64Bi10 (GTSB5). The simulation (Monte Carlo) technique is systematically utilized to understand the problem of radiation propagation through the chalcogenide alloys. The maximum deviation between the theoretical values and simulations outcomes for each alloy sample corresponds to circa 0.525, 0.517, 0.875, 0.619, and 0.574% for GTSB1, GTSB2, GTSB3, GTSB4, and GTSB5, respectively. The obtained results indicate that the rapid decline in the value of the attenuation coefficients is mainly due to the main photon interaction process with the alloys for E≤500 keV. Additionally, the charged particle and neutron transmission properties are assessed for the involved chalcogenide alloys. Comparing the MFP and HVL with those of the conventional shielding glasses and concretes, the present alloys are good photon absorbers and they could be used to replace some conventional shields in radiation protection applications.

Correlation between the concentration of TeO2 and the radiation shielding properties in the TeO2–MoO3–V2O5 glass system

We investigated the radiation shielding competence for TeO2–V2O5–MoO3 glasses. The Phy-X software was used to report the radiation shielding parameters for the present glasses. With an increase in TeO2 and MoO3 content, the samples' linear attenuation coefficient improves. However, at low energies, this change is more apparent. At low energy, the present samples have an effective atomic number (Zeff) that is relatively high (in order of 16.17–24.48 at 0.347 MeV). In addition, the findings demonstrated that the density of the samples is a very critical factor in determining the half value layer (HVL). The minimal HVL for each sample can be found at 0.347 MeV and corresponds to 1.776, 1.519, 1.391, 1.210 and 1.167 cm for Te1 to Te5 respectively. However, the highest HVL of these glasses is recorded at 1.33 MeV, which corresponds to 3.773, 3.365, 3.218, 2.925 and 2.908 cm respectively. The tenth value layer results indicate that the thickness of the specimens needs to be increased in order to shield the photons that have a greater energy. Also, the TVL results demonstrated that the sample with the greatest TeO2 and MoO3 concentration has a higher capacity to attenuate photons.

Radiation transmittance of the optical SiO2-based glass system

In this study, parameters related to the transmission resistance of the optical glasses described by 26.47Li2O–(20.59-x)Ta2O5–5.88ZrO2–47.06SiO2–xNb2O5 were evaluated against common ionising radiation such as gamma photons, light and heavy charged particles. A combination of FLUKA simulation code, XCOM, ESTAR, PSTAR, ASTAR, and SRIM were exploited for the evaluation of photon, electron, proton, alpha particle and carbon ion transmission data for particle energies within 15 keV–15 MeV. The increase in Nb2O5 molar concentration generally, deteriorated the photon and charged radiation shielding ability of the glasses. The present glass system showed preferred gamma radiation shielding competence compared to standard glasses and concrete shields.

Impact of Nd3+ additive on the radiation shielding competence of borosilicate glasses fabricated from agro-waste materials

This work introduces a novel environmentally friendly method to produce borosilicate glass doped with neodymium from agro-waste materials for obtaining progressive laser amplifier glass with good radiation shielding properties. Glass with (mol%) 24 SiO2–43 B2O3–33 Na2O-xNd2O3 where x=0, 2, 4%, were prepared. SiO2 was extracted from agro-wastes to synthesize Nd-borosilicate glasses. Structurally, the prepared samples manifested good stability against different gamma doses according to FTIR measurements. The lasing amplifier properties were detected through the emission peak at 1055 nm of 4F3/2→ 4I11/2. Radiation attenuation parameters of the prepared glass samples were experimentally measured utilizing NaI (Tl) detector. Also; Phy-X/PSD software and MCNP5 code have been used for studying the ɣ-shielding potential of photon energy values ranging from 0.015 to 15 MeV. With the increase of Nd2O3 in the glass samples, the effectiveness of gamma protection is increased and relatively increased efficiency on the MSP and CSDA of the electrons.

Optical properties and radiation shielding competence of Bi/Te-BGe glass system containing B2O3 and GeO2

In this study we present the optical features including several parameters, gamma-ray photon and fast neutron absorption parameters of quaternary glasses with the chemical structure: xBi2O3 + (80-x)TeO2 + 10B2O3 + 10GeO2 for x = 40, 50, and 60 mol% and coded as Bi/Te-BGe1, Bi/Te-BGe2, and Bi/Te-BGe3 respectively. The FLUKA Monte Carlo and XCOM code were used to evaluate the photon shielding parameters of the glasses for energies between 0.284 and 2.506 MeV. The optical quantities such as the molar refractivity Rm, molar polarizability αmol, reflectance loss (Rloss), optical transmission (Topt), metallization criterion (M) and the static dielectric constant εstaof the glasses were estimated to understand their optical characteristic. Mass attenuation coefficient of 0.345, 0.368, and 0.386 cm2/g was obtained for Bi/Te-BGe1–3 respectively at 0.284 MeV. Evaluated Zeff ranged from 30.94 to 53.22, 32.73 – 56.29, 34.52 – 58.75 for the Bi/Te-BGe1–3 glasses respectively. The HVL within the investigated energy similar to other estimated photon shielding parameters showed great enhancement as the density and Bi2O3 content of the glasses improved. Similar improvement on the fast neutron removal cross section also increased from 0.1141 to 0.1178 cm−1 as bismuth oxide increases in the glass system. The estimated optical parameters also showed great dependence on the chemical structure of the glasses. The present Bi/Te-BGe1–3 glasses showed excellent fast neutron and photon absorption capacity compared to some common shields; this makes them potentially useful for radiation protection applications.

Influence of iron (III) oxide on the optical, mechanical, physical, and radiation shielding properties of sodium-barium-vanadate glass system

The physical, optical, mechanical, and radiation absorption features of a Sodium-barium-vanadate glass system containing iron (III) oxide were obtained by direct calculations and Monte Carlo simulations in this study. The investigated glasses have a chemical definition given as (20 – x)Na2O + 25BaO + 55V2O5 + xFe2O3 (where x = 0, 5 10, 20 mol% represents SBV-Fe0–3). The mass density from 3.732 to 4.326 g cm−3 while molar volume decreased from 40.40 to 39.37 cm3 mol−1 as the Fe2O3 insertion ratio rose in the glasses. Replacing Na2O with Fe2O3 in the glasses led to a decrease in the refraction index, reflectance loss, and metalization criterion of the glasses, while on the other hand the optical transmittance increased. The Young's, longitudinal, bulk, and shear moduli all increased as the glass density improved. The gamma radiation shielding competence evaluated from FLUKA simulations and confirmed by XCOM calculations revealed that the incident photon energy and the chemical structure of the glasses influenced the photon absorbing capacity of the glasses. The linear attenuation coefficient decayed from 0.4852 to 0.1409 cm−1 for SBV-Fe0 while that of SBV-Fe1, SBV-Fe2, and SBV-Fe3 decayed from 0.5021 to 0.1479 cm−1, 0.5203 to 0.1544 cm−1, and 0.5573 to 0.1656 cm−1 accordingly as energy increases from 0.284 to 2.506 MeV. Similarly, the mass attenuation coefficient, effective atomic number and other estimated photon absorption quantities all point to an improved absorption capacity with the trend SBV-Fe0 < SBV-Fe1 < SBV-Fe2 < SBV-Fe3. Further, the ΣR of the glasses have values of 1.2162, 1.1977, 1.1919, and 1.213 cm−1 for the SBV-Fe0–3 respectively. Analysis of the thermal neutron cross section of the glasses reveals that the inclusion and subsequent increase of the Fe2O3 content of the SBV-Fe glasses has a positive impact on the thermal neutron interaction parameters. SBV-Fe glasses are valuable materials for radiation absorption functions when compared with common shields.

Effect of TeO2 addition on the gamma radiation shielding competence and mechanical properties of boro-tellurite glass: an experimental approach

We experimentally investigated the effect of TeO2 on the radiation-shielding competence of a BaO–MoO3–B2O3 glass system. Two gamma-ray sources (137Cs and 166Ho) and a scintillator detector (sodium iodide (NaI(Tl)) were utilized to measure the attenuation factors of the prepared glass at 0.184, 0.280, 0.662, 0.710, and 0.810 MeV. The measured mass attenuation coefficient agreed well with the theoretically calculated values for all the prepared samples. The linear attenuation coefficient (LAC) results demonstrated that as the photon energy increased, the penetrating ability of the photons through the glass increased. The LAC values of boro-tellurite glass at 662 keV were compared with those of other tellurite glass. We found that MTB1 glass produced better attenuation results than 10Li2O–20K2O–50B2O3–20TeO2 glass, whereas MTB5 glass with 70 mol% TeO2 had an LAC value greater than that of 90.4TeO2-9.6ZnO–4NiO glass. The half-value layer (HVL) increased continuously with photon energy. For MTB1 glass, the HVL increased from 0.3609 cm at 184 keV to 1.6078 cm at 662 keV and 1.8381 cm at 810 keV. The lowest set of HVL values was observed for MTB5 glass, which confirmed its superior attenuation properties compared to other compositions. The transmission factor (TF) was also calculated; MTB5 glass had the lowest TF values, which revealed that MTB5 provided the best shield. For glass with a thickness of 1 cm, the TF was 75.8% for MTB1, 72.8% for MTB2, 70.6% for MTB3, 68.8% for MTB4, and 63.4% for MTB5.

Evaluation of structural, elastic properties and nuclear radiation shielding competence of Nd3+ doped lithium-zinc-phosphate glasses

Nd3+ doped lithium-zinc-phosphate glasses were synthesized by melt-quenching technique. FTIR spectra were recorded in the wavenumber range of 400–4000 cm−1. Elastic parameters such as Debye temperature and fractal bond connectivity were calculated. The results revealed that these parameters were influenced by the glass system's composition and dopant concentration. The mass and linear attenuation coefficients (MAC, LAC) of gamma-ray photons at the energy range from 0.015 to 15 MeV have been investigated using the Phy-X/PSD software program as well as the XCOM database program. Both MAC and LAC increase with the increase in the amount of Nd2O3. Also, the mean free path values and the half-value layer decrease while the density increases with the increase of the Nd2O3 content. Moreover, the fast neutron removal cross section was also presented and the results were compared with the concrete and commercial shielding glasses.

Determining the optical properties and simulating the radiation shielding parameters of Dy3+ doped lithium yttrium borate glasses

In this study the optical parameters and radiation shielding competence of a new glass system is presented. The chemical architecture of the glasses are given as 60Li2O3-10Y2O3-(30-x)B2O3-xDy2O3 (where x = 0.05, 0.5, and 1.5 mol% for LYBD1–3 glass samples). The molar refractivity RMol, molar polarizability αm × 10−24 cm−3, reflectance loss RL, and optical transmission TOpt values were influenced by the chemical description of the glasses. The RMol, αm × 10−24 cm−3, and TOpt all increased as Dy2O3 increased while on the other hand, the reflectance loss declined. The radiation shielding competence of the glasses were investigated through quantities such as the linear attenuation coefficient LAC, mass attenuation coefficient MAC, effective atomic number Zeff, half value layer HVL, and mean free path MFP for photons while the fast neutron removal cross section ΣR was used for fast neutron. The LAC values of the glasses were evaluated through FLUKA simulations and validated through XCOM computation for photon energies 0.284–2.506 MeV. LAC changes from 0.3105 to 0.1016 cm−1 for LYBD1, 0.3239 to 0.1032 cm−1, for LYBD2, and 0.3504 to 0.1040 cm−1 within the energy investigated spectrum. Also, the magnitude of Zeff fluctuates with energy and ranges from 7.53 to 8.38 for LYBD1, while for LYBD2, the variation is from 7.77 to 8.82, and 8.13 to 9.78 for LYBD3. Other evaluated photon shielding parameters showed that the increment of Dy2O3 had a positive influence on the photon shielding capacity of the glasses. The trend of the fast neutron removal cross section ΣR is such that LYBD1 > LYBD2 > LYBD3 with values varying from 0.1064 to 0.1103 cm−1. Comparing the gamma-ray and fast neutron absorbing efficiency of the LYBD glasses with common radiation shields revealed that: the LYBD glasses shield photons and moderate fast neutrons better than some common shields. The LYBD glasses consequently showed good potential for radiation shielding applications. The optical transparency of the glasses also makes them attractive candidates as transparent shields in medical applications of photons.

CuO reinforced lithium-borate glasses: fabrication, structure, physical properties, and ionizing radiation shielding competence

CuO reinforced lithium-borate glasses: fabrication, structure, physical properties, and ionizing radiation shielding competence

Effect of ZnO on radiation shielding competence of TeO2-ZnO-Fe2O3 glass system

In this work, we studied the influence of ZnO in a TeO2-ZnO-Fe2O3 glass system on the gamma radiation shielding properties using Phy-X software between 0.284 and 2.506 MeV photon energies. The glass with the highest ZnO content exhibited the highest linear attenuation coefficient (LAC). The effective atomic number (Zeff) of the glasses at 0.284 MeV was in the range of 26.72–29.06, and in the range of 21.79–23.65 at 0.662 MeV. The glass with 80 and 20 mol% of TeO2 and ZnO, respectively, had the maximum Zeff, while the ZnO-free glass possessed the lowest Zeff. The half-value layer (HVL) showed a direct relation with energy, implying that the thickness of the glass is increased to attenuate the photons with high energy. The glass with the highest ZnO content also had the lowest HVL. From the tenth value layer (TVL), we found that a thin glass can effectively be used to shield the low-energy radiation; however, if the energy of the radiation is increased, then a thick sample must be used to provide safe protection. In addition, we compared the radiation attenuation competence of this glass system with other glasses at 0.662 MeV in terms of LAC and mean free path (MFP). The TeO2-ZnO-Fe2O3 glass system exhibited radiation shielding characteristics that were comparable to those of some heavy metal oxide-doped glasses.

Experimental Investigation of Radiation Shielding Competence of Bi2O3-CaO-K2O-Na2O-P2O5 Glass Systems.

The gamma-ray shielding features of Bi2O3-CaO-K2O-Na2O-P2O5 glass systems were experimentally reported. The mass attenuation coefficient (MAC) for the fabricated glasses was experimentally measured at seven energy values (between 0.0595 and 1.33 MeV). The compatibility between the practical and theoretical results shows the accuracy of the results obtained in the laboratory for determining the MAC of the prepared samples. The mass and linear attenuation coefficients (MACs) increase with the addition of Bi2O3 and A4 glass possesses the highest MAC and LAC. A downward trend in the linear attenuation coefficient (LAC) with increasing the energy from 0.0595 to 1.33 MeV is found. The highest LAC is found at 1.33 MeV (in the range of 0.092–0.143 cm−1). The effective atomic number (Zeff) follows the order B1 > A1 > A2 > A3 > A4. This order emphasizes that increasing the content of Bi2O3 has a positive effect on the photon shielding proficiencies owing to the higher density of Bi2O3 compared with Na2O. The half value layer (HVL) is also determined and the HVL for the tested glasses is computed between 0.106 and 0.958 cm at 0.0595 MeV. The glass with 10 mol% of Bi2O3 has lower HVL than the glasses with 0, 2.5, 5, and 7.5 mol% of Bi2O3. So, the A4 glass needs a smaller thickness than the other glasses to shield the same radiation. As a result of the reported shielding parameters, inserting B2O3 provides lower values of these three parameters, which in turn leads to the development of superior photons shields.