Mechanical and radiation shielding properties of tellurite glasses doped with ZnO and NiO

This study examines the basic mechanical parameters and radiation shielding properties of (100−x)TeO₂+xZnO+4NiO glasses (where x = 9.6, 19.2, 28.8, and 38.4 mol%) glass system. The mechanical study included basic parameters such as hardness, packing density, elastic moduli, and Poisson's ratio. Shielding ability of the glasses was tested against gamma and neutron radiations as well as against charged particles such as electron, proton, and alpha. Geant4 simulations and theoretical calculations by using Phy-X computer program were carried out to estimate mass attenuation coefficient (μ/ρ), neutron removal cross section (RCS), transmission factors namely; half value layer (HVL) and mean free path (MFP), and effective atomic number for total interaction of gamma (Z_eff-G), electron (Z_eff-E), proton (Z_eff-P), and alpha (Z_eff-A) radiations. The results showed that ZnO concentration had a significant influence on the mechanical properties and the shielding capability for glasses involved. The values effective atomic number were in the range of 30.2–46.1 for Z_eff-G, 21.2–26.5 for Z_eff-E, 16.9–19.7 for Z_eff-P, and 15.3–18.6 for Z_eff-A, respectively. The current glasses can act as superior shielding material as compared with those of Pb-free glasses, commercial glasses, and traditional concrete.     

The role of cadmium oxides in the enhancement of radiation shielding capacities for alkali borate glasses

The radiation shielding capacity of 80B₂O₃–(20-x) Na₂O–x CdO (where x = 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 14 mol%) cadmium-doped sodium borate glasses was evaluated. The linear attenuation coefficient (LAC) of the studied glasses was simulated using the Monte Carlo simulation code (MCNP-5) for gamma photons with energy between 0.01 and 15 MeV. Other pivotal gamma ray shielding parameters such as mass attenuation coefficient (MAC), half value layer (HVL), effective atomic number (Z_eff), and buildup factors (EBF and EABF) for the selected cadmium-doped sodium borate glasses were examined. The achieved data showed that, BNC 8 glass with CdO contents of 14 mol % possesses the highest LAC and varied between 0.0650 and 83.636 cm^-1 and also it has thinner HVL than other BNC glasses and varied between 0.008 and 10.686 cm for gamma ray energy between 0.01 and 15 MeV. Moreover, the removal cross sections of fast neutrons (Σ_R) were also calculated theoretically for the selected cadmium-doped sodium borate glasses. The obtained data shows that the insertion of CdO appears to enhance gamma ray and neutron shielding capacity. BNC8 with CdO content (14 mol%) was found to possess the best shielding parameters among the studied cadmium-doped sodium borate glasses.     

The impact of Gd2O3 on nuclear safety proficiencies of TeO2–ZnO–Nb2O5 glasses: A GEANT4 Monte Carlo study

This work was carried out to specify the effect of Gd₂O₃ on the gamma and neutron radiation shielding capacities of tellurite rich glasses with 75TeO₂+15ZnO+(10-x)Nb₂O₅+xGd₂O₃ (TZNG), where (x = 0, 1, 1.5, 2 and 2.5 mol%) nominal composition. The mass attenuation coefficients (μ/ρ) of the studied glasses were acquired with GEANT4 Monte Carlo codes and the results were found to match the theoretical Phy-X values. Next, the variables of Effective atomic number (Z_eff), Half Value Layer (HVL) and Mean Free Path (MFP) were calculated employing μ/ρ values. According to the corollaries, the increment of Gd2O3 insertion to the tellurite based glasses was enhanced the μρ and Z_eff values for total photon, electron, proton and alpha interactions whereas it was dropped the HVL and MFP values. It is also observed that the total stopping powers of the glasses for electron interaction were declined. The geometric progression (GP) approximation was employed to determine the exposure buildup factor (EBF) for the proposed glasses. The EBFs showed the lowest values for TZNG-E glass with 2.5% mole Gd₂O₃ addition. Finally, the fast neutron reduction capacity of the TZNG glasses was surveyed by calculating the effective removal cross-sections (Σ_R) of the glasses. It is determined that the Σ_R values increased with enhancing Gd₂O₃ content since the addition of Gd₂O₃ increased the glass density. Consequently, the TZNG-E glass with the highest Gd₂O₃ additive is the more skillful nominee for gamma-ray and neutron security applications among the investigated glasses.     

Evaluation of the radiation shielding capabilities of the Na2B4O7–SiO2–MoO3-Dy2O3 glass quaternary using Geant4 simulation code and Phy-X/PSD database

The important gamma and neutron radiation shielding parameters of the Dy³⁺ doped (65-x)Na₂B₄O₇–15SiO₂–20MoO₃-xDy₂O₃ (x = 0, 5, 10, 15, 20 mol%) glass quaternary system were investigated to provide decisive information for their application in radiation environment. Gamma and neutron attenuation properties of the glass systems studied here were evaluated in terms of the mass attenuation coefficient (μ_m), transmission fraction (TF), half value layer (HVL), mean free path (MFP), effective atomic number (Z_eff), exposure buildup factors (EBF) and fast neutron removal cross-section (∑_R) parameters. Investigation of the each aforementioned parameter was performed thanks to the utilization of Monte Carlo simulations along with the Phy-X/PSD database. The photon attenuation characteristics were evaluated for gamma ray energies varying between 0.284 and 5.0 MeV. This study indicated that increase of the Dy₂O₃ content from 0% to 20% mole, enhances the gamma shielding capability due to the increase of the parameters μ_m and Z_eff. In this study it was also observed that ∑_R increases from 0.099 to 0.107 cm⁻¹ as the molar fraction of Dy₂O₃ increases.     

Radiation attenuation and optical features of lithium borate glasses containing barium: B2O3.Li2O.BaO

The influence of BaO on the optical characteristics and nuclear radiation shielding properties for 60B₂O₃-(40-x)Li₂O-xBaO: x = 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 mol% glasses was investigated. Various optical parameters such as optical transmission and reflection loss (T^Optical, R^Loss), molar refraction and molar polarizability (R^Molar, α^Molar), optical and static dielectric coefficients and metallization criterion (ε^Optical, ε^Static, M^Criterion), and metallization property according to refractive index and optical energy gap (M(n^Linear), M(E^Optical)), were determined. The results confirmed that R^Molar changes directly with α^Molar, while T^Optical changes inversely with R^Loss. The mass attenuation coefficient (μ/ρ) was investigated using WinXCOM software and the results showed that all the S1–S5 glasses have good attenuation ability at 284 keV due to their high mass attenuation coefficients (μ/ρ). The highest and lowest values of μ/ρ occurred at 284 keV and 1.33 MeV respectively and varied between 0.1055 and 0.1361 cm²/g and 0.0526–0.0534 cm²/g. The linear attenuation coefficient (μ) increased with the gradual addition of BaO from glass S1→S5. The results showed that the effective atomic number (Z_eff) for S1 is almost constant, while S5 possessed the highest Z_eff values. The half value layer (HVL) was estimated and the effect of BaO on this parameter was analyzed. At 284 keV, the HVL values were 2.8192, 2.3847, 2.1597, 1.9687 and 1.8936 cm for S1–S5 glasses respectively. The S5 sample possessed the least HVL, and accordingly, had better attenuation capabilities than the S1–S4 samples. Therefore, lithium borate glasses with high concentration of BaO can be applied in several optical and medical applications.     

Effect of CdO addition on photon,electron, and neutron attenuation properties of boro-tellurite glasses

This research article aims to study the effect of CdO addition on the radiation shielding characteristics of boro-tellurite glasses in the composition of 50B₂O₃ - (50-x) TeO2- xCdO, where x = 0, 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 mol%. These glasses were exposed to gamma radiation and the transmitted gamma photons were evaluated for energies varying from 15 keV to 15 MeV using Geant4 simulation toolkit. The number of transmitted photons was then used to characterize the gamma shielding for the studied glasses in terms of linear/mass attenuation coefficients, MFP, Z_eff, and HVL. The simulation outcomes were theoretically confirmed by using Phy-X software. The beta (electron) shielding characterization of the involved glasses was also investigated by determining the projectile range and stopping power using ESTAR software. Additionally, the fast neutron shielding characterization of the glasses was achieved by evaluating removal cross-section (Σ_R). The results reveal that the CdO has a small influence on the shielding performance of the boro-tellurite glasses against gamma, beta, and neutron radiations. The shielding performance of the boro-tellurite glasses was compared with that of common shielding materials in terms of MFP. It can be concluded that the boro-tellurite glasses regardless of the concentration of CdO content have promising shielding performance to be used for radiation applications.     

Influence of Bi2O3/WO3 substitution on the optical,mechanical, chemical durability and gamma ray shielding properties of lithium-borate glasses

Six different lithium bismuth boro-tungstate glasses with chemical composition 20Li₂O-(20-x)Bi₂O₃-xWO₃-60B₂O₃ (x = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 mol%) were produced by the quenching method. Then, the glasses were investigated by means of their optical, mechanical, chemical durability and gamma ray shielding properties. Measured values of density and ultrasonic velocities were used to determine the elastic properties of the glasses. The optical band gap determined using the absorbance spectrum fitting (ASF) model was found to decrease under Bi₂O₃/WO₃ substitution. The presence of BO₃, BO₄, BiO₆, and WO₄ structural groups in the glasses was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The dissolution rate in the glass 20Li₂O–15Bi₂O₃–5WO₃–60B₂O₃ (LBWB5) was found to be 10 times lower than 20Li₂O-20Bi₂O₃– 60B₂O₃. Mass attenuation coefficients (MAC) values of the produced glasses were determined using the MCNPX Monte Carlo code and Phy-X/PSD program. The photon attenuation parameters such as half value layer (HVL), mean free path (MFP), effective atomic number (Z_eff), exposure buildup factor (EBF) and energy absorption buildup factor (EABF) were also studied. The obtained results showed that Bi₂O₃/WO₃ substitution has a direct impact on the photon attenuation abilities of produced glasses. More specifically, HVL values increased from 0.252 × 10^?2 cm for LBWB0 glass to 0.275 × 10^?2 cm for LBWB5 glass. However, different trends were observed for the photon buildup factors for the produced glasses. It can be concluded that the produced glasses have promising structural, optical, and photon attenuation properties to be used for gamma shielding applications.     

The role of PbO/Bi2O3 insertion on the shielding characteristics of novel borate glasses

Impacts of lead and bismuth oxides insertion on a novel glass system of P₂O₅, B₂O₃, Li₂O, Al₂O₃ according the formula 25B₂O₃–25P₂O₅–10Li₂O–5Al₂O₃–5ZnO-xPbO+ (30-x)Bi₂O₃, x = 5,10, 15, 20, 25 mol%. The mass attenuation coefficient (μ_m = μ/ρ) simulated between 0.015 and 15 MeV using MCNP and calculated theoretically using Phy-X/PSD program. Based on the simulated μ_m, other significant parameters such as linear attenuation coefficient (LAC), half and tenth value layer (HVL, TVL), mean free path (MFP), and effective atomic number (Z_eff) were calculated for fabricated glasses. The G-P fitting methods were used to calculate the exposure and energy absorption buildup factors (EBF and EABF) for fabricated glasses. Furthermore, fast neutron removal cross sections (Σ_R) were calculated theoretically for fabricated glasses. The prepared glasses were effective shielding material which can reduce fast neutrons as well as gamma rays.     

Ionizing radiation attenuation competences of gallium germanate-tellurite glasses utilizing MCNP5 simulation code and Phy-X/PSD program

Gamma radiation, neutrons, protons, and alphas particles shielding competences for gallium germanate-tellurite (GeO₂.TeO₂.Ga₂O₃) glasses doped with Pr₆O₁₁ were tested. The investigated glasses were named as GTGPr1, GTGPr2, GTGPr3, and GTGPr4. Mass attenuation coefficients (MAC) for the proposed glasses were calculated utilizing Phy-X/PSD program and simulated by MCNP5 simulation codes in the photon energy range of 0.015–15 MeV. With the help of MAC values, the linear attenuation coefficient (LAC), half value layer (HVL), mean free path (MFP), and effective atomic number (Z_eff) were calculated. Moreover, the absorbed dose received from ¹³⁷Cs with activity 10 μCi was calculated in presence of the studied glasses. Buildup factors (BUFs) include exposure buildup factor (EBF), and energy absorption buildup factor (EABF) for all investigated glasses were also calculated. Results reflected that the GTGPr4 glass has the highest MAC, LAC values and lowest HVL among other selected germanate glasses. The values of Z_eff were around 0.04 MeV varied between 43.07 and 48.19, while at 1.5 MeV were between 18.70 and 21.25. The GTGPr1 possesses the highest values of BUFs around the studied range of energy, while GTGPr4 glasses possesses the lowest values. Moreover, the fast neutron removal cross section was (Σ_R = 0.02151 and 0.01942 cm² g⁻¹) for GTGPr1 and GTGPr4, respectively. The investigated glasses can be useful to construct superior radiation shielding materials to use in nuclear medicine applications.     

Effect of Bi2O3 on mechanical features and radiation shielding properties of boro-tellurite glass system

This paper focuses on the effect of Bi₂O₃ content (up to 80 mol%) on mechanical features and radiation shielding characteristics of boro-tellurite glasses within TeO₂–B₂O₃–Bi₂O₃ system. The basic mechanical parameters such as oxygen molar volume, packing density, hardness, and elastic moduli were studied based on Makishima–Mackenzie's theory. The shielding studies of the TeO₂–B₂O₃–Bi₂O₃ glasses included gamma, electron and neutron radiations. The newly developed Phy-X/PSD program and Geant4 simulation were used to calculate the shielding parameters such as mass attenuation coefficient (μ/ρ), tenth value layer (TVL), mean free path (MFP), stopping power (ψ_e)), removal cross section (RCS), CSDA range, effective atomic number (Z_eff), and half value layer (HVL). The concentration of Bi₂O₃ content had a significant effect on the gamma shielding competence of the investigated glasses. Form the results of gamma shielding studies, the highest μ/ρ (99.845 cm²/g) occurred at 0.015 MeV for TBB80 and the lowest μ/ρ (0.039 m²/g) occurred at 4 MeV for TBB40. The maximum values of Z_eff for gamma interaction occurred at 0.02 MeV and they were 77.26, 78.81, 79.94, 80.80, and 81.48 for TBB40, TBB50, TBB50, TBB60, TBB70, and TBB80, respectively. The gamma shielding features of the investigated glasses were compared with those of various ordinary concretes, and Pb-free, Pb-based, and commercial glasses. The Bi₂O₃ content had also a considerable influence on the electron shielding competence of the tested glasses. The maximum values of Z_eff for electron interaction occurred at 14 MeV and they were 44.58, 47.72, 50.41, 52.75, and 53.73 for TBB40, TBB50, TBB50, TBB60, TBB70, and TBB80, respectively. The results revealed that the bismuth boro-tellurite glasses could be useful for the shielding against gamma, electron, and neutron radiations, wherein the Bi₂O₃ content can be balanced according to the type and energy of radiation.     

Role of TeO2 in radiation shielding characteristics of calcium boro-tellurite glasses

In this paper, the role of TeO₂ in radiation attenuating characteristics of xTeO₂ -10CaF₂-(60–0.6x) B₂O₃ -(30–0.4x) CaO glass system with x = 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 wt% was investigated. The gamma radiation studies were carried out by utilizing Geant4 simulations and the newly developed Phy-X/PSD program. The gamma-shielding characteristics of the present glass samples were examined in terms of mass attenuation coefficient (μ/ρ), and some other related factors such as the effective atomic number (Z_eff), and mean free path (MFP). The electron radiation-shielding characteristics were tested by determining the stopping power (ψ_e) and CSDA range for each glass specimen. The neutron radiation-shielding characteristics were explored by evaluating the removal cross section (RCS) for the tested glasses. Moreover, the G-P method was employed to investigate the exposure buildup factor (EBF) for photon energies up to 15 MeV. The results showed that the TeO₂ content had a significant influence on the shielding ability of the investigated glasses against gamma and neutron radiations. In contrast, the TeO₂ content had an insignificant influence on the electron radiation-shielding capacity of the glasses involved. Additionally, the nuclear-shielding properties of the studied samples were compared with those of standard nuclear radiation shields. It can be concluded that the present calcium boro-tellurite glasses have a promising future to be used as a shielding material against gamma, electron and neutron radiation, wherein the TeO₂ concentration can be balanced according to the desired application.     

An extensive investigation on gamma-ray and neutron attenuation parameters of cobalt oxide and nickel oxide substituted bioactive glasses

This study aimed to investigate the gamma-ray and neutron attenuation parameters of cobalt oxide and nickel oxide substituted ten bioactive glasses. The mass attenuation coefficient ($\text{μ}/\text{ρ}$) for the selected bioactive glasses was calculated using MCNPX code in photon energy range (0.02?MeV - 20?MeV) and the results were compared with the output of WinXcom software. Other vital gamma-ray attenuation parameters such as half value layer (HVL), tenth value layer (TVL), mean free path (MFP), effective atomic number (Z_eff), and effective electron density (N_el) for the selected bioactive glasses were also calculated for each approach. Gamma-ray and neutron transmission factors as well as neutron effective removal cross-sections of each bioactive glass (ΣR) were also taken into consideration to underline the distinctive parameters. Additionally, exposure buildup factor (EBF) values were found with G-P fitting approach depending on the energy and penetration depths. The results points that, the lowest HVL, TVL and MFP values and the highest neutron effective removal cross-sections (Σ_R) values are the characteristics of NiO4C and CoO-4. The results indicate that the density of the material affects the photon and neutron interaction parameters. While NiO4C has the lowest TF values for both gamma and neutron radiation, the highest Σ_R values are collected from NiO4C glass material. The gamma and neutron transmission factors (TF) of the studied bioactive glasses support the aforementioned results. The lowest Z_eff values were generated for 45S5C and 45S5 ordinary glasses, while CoO-4 and NiO4C doped glasses are having the highest values of Z_eff. EBF values of the glasses were also calculated in the energy range 0.015–15?MeV up to 40 mfp. The smallest EBF values were measured for CoO-4 and NiO4C glasses. It can be concluded that NiO4C bioactive glass outperformed compared to other studied samples and is a promising bioactive glass for gamma-ray and neutron attenuation.     

Impact of TeO2–B2O3 manipulation on physical,structural, optical and radiation shielding properties of Ho/Yb codoped mixed glass former borotellurite glass

In this work, (75-x)B₂O₃-xTeO₂-11Bi₂O₃–10Li₂O-1Ho₂O₃-3Yb₂O₃ (x = 10–60 mol%) mixed glass former (MGF) glasses were prepared by using the melt-quenching method to investigate the effect of mixed glass former between B₂O₃ and TeO₂ on the structural, optical and radiation shielding properties of glass. The amorphous nature of the glass samples was confirmed through XRD measurement. Optical ultraviolet–visible light (UV–Vis) spectroscopy revealed that the direct and indirect optical band gap (E_opt) decreased as TeO₂ content increased except for the anomaly at x = 30 mol% due to the interchanging dominance of bridging oxygen (BO) and non-bridging oxygen (NBO) in the glass network. Both direct and indirect refractive indices, n posted an increment except for x = 30 mol% due to polarizability influence of BO and NBO. Urbach energy, E_u declined thus indicating lesser disorder and less defects on the glass structure. The radiation shielding properties of the glass samples were determined for 15 keV–15 MeV photon energy range by using Phy-X/PSD software. Atomic number-dependent parameters such as mass attenuation coefficient (MAC) and effective atomic number (Z_eff) demonstrated an enhanced performances caused by higher Z of Te over B. Meanwhile, density-dependent parameters such as linear attenuation coefficient (LAC), mean-free path (MFP), half-value layer (HVL) and tenth-value layer (TVL) all exhibited an improvement over TeO₂ concentration due to higher density data obtained.     

Synthesis,physical, optical,structural and radiation shielding characterization of borate glasses: A focus on the role of SrO/Al2O3 substitution

In a bid to expand the amount of information available on glass systems and their potential applications for radiation shielding design, glass samples with the compositions (30-x)SrO-xAl₂O₃–68B₂O₃–2V₂O₅(x = 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5&15 mol %) coded as SABV0 - 4 were prepared by the melt-quenching technique and analyzed for their optical, structural, physical, and radiation shielding features. The glassy (amorphous) nature of the SABV glass samples was affirmed by broad peaks of X-ray diffraction spectra. Calculated values of density and molar volume shown opposite behavior and the variation of these values were discussed as structural modifications in the glass matrix. From recorded optical absorption spectra optical band gap energy (Eg)-indirect transition, Urbach energy and optical basicity were estimated. FTIR spectra were recorded for all the samples in the range 400 cm^?1 to 4000 cm^?1. The FTIR absorbance spectra unveiled the SABV network structure mainly incorporating of BO₃ and BO₄ units. Raman spectroscopy is achieved to detect the structural changes and at higher wavenumber, B–O stretching modes in [BO₃] observed with one or two NBO's. The results of ESR spectra of glasses have indicated the highly covalent environment of vanadium ions. Analysis of the photon shielding parameters of the glasses which were obtained primarily from FLUKA Monte Carlo simulations and XCOM computations revealed photon energy and glass chemical composition dependence. The mass attenuation coefficient and effective atomic number ranged from 0.2668 to 0.3385 cm²g^-1 and 12.98–15.93 accordingly as the weight fraction of Sr increased from 16.06 to 26.72% in the glasses. Generally, photon shielding ability of the SABV glasses follows the trend: SABV0 > SABV1 > SABV2 > SABV3 > SABV4. The thermal neutron total cross section follows the same trend with values fluctuating between 71.9553 and 80.6268 cm^?1. However, SABV1 showed superior fast neutron moderating capacity among the glasses. The present SABV glasses showed outstanding photon shielding ability compared to common shields. The prepared glasses are thus suitable candidates for radiation protection applications.     

Gamma,neutron shielding and mechanical parameters for lead vanadate glasses

Alkali lead vanadate glasses with moderate concentrations of PbO were prepared and analyzed to test their use as promising candidates for radiation shielding. The physical parameters of these glasses are specified and discussed in details. The code MCNPX was utilized to determine the mass attenuation coefficient μ_m that is used to evaluate the interaction of radiation with shielding materials. The results were then compared with the values collected from the XMuDat program and XCOM. The simulation results overlaps and highly correlated with XMuDat and XCOM. In addition, the results showed that μ_m, the effective atomic number (Z_eff), removal cross-sections, (Σ_R) and experimental results of the prepared glasses increase, while the half value layer (HVL), exposure and energy absorption build-up factor (EBF and EABF) values decrease with the increase of lead oxide (PbO) content from 30 to 45 mol%. In order to maximize the benefits from the determination of the radiation factors, the experimentally determined physical parameters and the elastic coefficients of this type of glass were also calculated.     

Radiation attenuation properties of Bi2O3–Na2O– V2O5– TiO2–TeO2 glass system using Phy-X / PSD software

The purpose of this work is to investigate the effect of increasing Bi₂O₃ mol% on the radiation shielding parameters of tellurite glass system with the formula Bi₂O₃–Na₂O– V₂O₅– TiO₂–TeO₂ by using Phy-X/PSD computer software between 15 keV and 10 MeV. The results showed that the attenuation factor is very large at 15 keV. The mass attenuation coefficient (μ/ρ) at 15 keV lies within the range of 55.96–67.03 cm²/g for the selected samples. The μ/ρ for the investigated samples at 10 MeV is in the range of 0.0365–0.0392 cm²/g. The results also revealed that the addition of Bi₂O₃ enhances the effective atomic number (Z_eff) and the sample corresponding to the lowest and highest amount of Bi₂O₃ (coded as TeBTi1 and TeBTi6) has the lowest and highest Z_eff. Moreover, Z_eff has high values between 15 keV and 0.1 MeV and the maximum Z_eff occurs at 0.1 MeV (equal to 61.01, 62.67, 64.10, 65.34, 66.44 and 67.41 for TeBTi1– TeBTi6 samples respectively). The half value layer (HVL) increased when the energy changes from 15 keV to 10 MeV and the lowest HVL occurs at 15 keV for the sample coded as TeBTi6 and equal to 0.0025 cm, while the HVL at this energy for TeBTi1 is 0.0056 cm. Also, we calculated the tenth value layer (TVL) for the present system and we found that TVL reduces with the increment of Bi₂O₃ content, and the sample corresponding to 22 and 0 mol% of Bi₂O₃ and TiO₂ respectively namely TeBTi6 possesses the lowest value of TVL, thus has the best radiation attenuation performance in comparison to other selected glasses. Also, we evaluated the effective removal cross-sections of fast neutrons (∑_R) for the investigated glass system and we found that the ∑_R values increase with increase the concentration of Bi₂O₃.     

The radiation-shielding properties of ternary SiO2–SnO–SnF2 glasses: Simulation and theoretical study

In this study, the shielding capabilities of five selected glasses with a (100-x) SiO₂-x(SnO + SnF₂) chemical composition (x = 40, 45, 50, 55 and 60 mol%) have been investigated. The mass attenuation coefficient values were simulated using the MCNP5 Monte Carlo code, while the results were confirmed theoretically by the online version of the XCOM program. Based on the obtained mass attenuation coefficient values, effective shielding parameters such as linear attenuation coefficient, half value layer, mean free path, effective atomic number, and electron densities have been calculated. Exposure and energy absorption buildup factors have also been calculated. Glass shielding capabilities against neutrons has been investigated by calculating the fast neutron removal cross section. The results reveal that an increase in the SnO ratio in the glass composition leads to an increase in the attenuation properties: the investigated glasses are superior as shields against gamma radiation.     

Elucidating the influences of Tantalum (V) oxide in Bi2O3–TeO2–ZnO ternary glasses: An experimental characterization study on optical and nuclear radiation transmission properties of high-density glasses

We report the optical and experimental gamma-ray and neutron attenuation properties of tantalum pentoxide reinforced Bi₂O₃–TeO₂–ZnO ternary glasses with a nominal composition of 10Bi₂O₃–70TeO₂-(20-x)ZnO-xTa₂O₅ (where x = 0,2,4, and 6 mol%). Measurements of transmittance and absorbance spectra for all of the synthesized samples are performed with Analytik Jena Specord 210 plus device between the range of 190–1100 nm. Moreover, ¹³³Ba and ²⁴¹Am/Be sources are utilized for experimental gamma-ray and neutron attenuation studies of BTZT glasses. According to results, the absorption edge is consistently moved from 380 nm to 390 nm as a result of ZnO/Ta₂O₅ translocation. In addition to decrease in optical band gap values of glass series, the fact that doping the structure containing Ta₂O₅ is lead to an increase in Urbach energies. The obtained irregularity through an increasing Ta₂O₅ additive is also changed the overall nuclear radiation attenuation properties of the BTZT glasses. The gamma-ray attenuation properties are obviously enhanced within the energy range of ¹³³Ba radioisotope. The attenuation properties against fast neutron emitted from ²⁴¹Am/Be were significantly enhanced through increasing Ta₂O₅ contribution. It can be concluded that BTZT6 glass sample may be regarded as a beneficial glass composition for multifunctional applications. It can be also concluded that ZnO/Ta2O5 translocation in Bi₂O₃–TeO₂–ZnO ternary glasses may be regarded as a monotonic tool where the neutron attenuation properties should be strengthened in addition to gamma attenuation properties.     

Mechanical,physical and gamma ray shielding properties of xPbO-(50-x) MoO3–50V2O5 (25 ≤ x ≤ 45 mol %) glass system

In this study, five different glasses encoded Pb25, Pb30, Pb35, Pb40 and Pb45 based on xPbO- (50-x) MoO₃–50V₂O₅ (25 ≤ x ≤ 45 mol %) glass system were fabricated. MCNPX code, XCOM and XMuDat have been utilized to compute the mass attenuation coefficient (μ_m) values of the xPbO-(50-x)MoO3–50V₂O₅ glass system at 0.015–15 MeV photon energies. X-ray diffraction (XRD), was characterized for fabricated glasses. Moreover, different shielding parameters such as Half Value Layer, Tenth Value Layer, relaxation length, effective atomic numbers and effective electron densities, basic gamma-ray attenuation properties such as Exposure Buildup Factors (EBF) and Energy Absorption Buildup Factors (EABF) at different penetration depths, Effective Removal Cross Section against fast neutrons have been calculated. In addition to nuclear radiation shielding parameters, numerous physical and mechanical parameters were determined. The experimental elastic modulus results were compared using the theoretical models Makishima-Mackenzie and Rocherulle model. The values of these moduli have been compared to their experimental values. The results observed that the composition has the highest value of PbO (45 mol. %) showed excellent nuclear radiation shielding and elastic properties.     

Bioactive glasses and direct effect of increased K2O additive for nuclear shielding performance: A comparative investigation

This study aimed to provide a large-scale investigation on direct effect of K₂O additive nuclear radiation shielding properties of calcium phosphate based bioactive quaternary P₂O₅–CaO–Na₂O–K₂O glasses. A gamma ray attenuation setup has been modeled in MCNPX (v-2.6–0) simulation code using Monte Carlo simulation technique. Next, all the bioactive glasses have been defined considering their chemical properties and material densities, respectively. The mass attenuation coefficients (MAC) have been calculated by using MCNPX code and obtained results have been used for determination of another vital gamma-ray shielding parameters. Moreover, a detailed calculation has been done for determination of exposure buildup factor (EBF) and energy absorption buildup factor (EABF) of investigated bioactive glasses which should be considered as important parameters for interaction properties of ionizing radiation with material environment. In addition, effective removal cross sections for fast neutrons have been calculated. To compare our results, obtained HVL values of the present investigation have been compared with copper oxide and cobalt oxide substituted bioactive glasses. Among the investigated bioactive glasses, the maximum MAC values were reported for PCNK60 sample with higher K₂O additive. It can be concluded that chemical structure of additive materials in the bioactive glasses is strongly related with the radiation attenuation properties of bioactive glasses.