An experimental study and WinXCom calculations on X-ray photon characteristics of Bi2O3- and Sb2O3-added waste soda-lime-silica glass

Radiation is used in a variety of different fields, and thus protection from its hazardous effects become a popular subject for researchers. For this purpose, in the present study, waste soda-lime-silica glasses as SiO₂–Na₂O–CaO–Bi₂O₃ and SiO₂–Na₂O–CaO–Sb₂O₃ were investigated for X-rays photon characteristics in the energies of 0.01–0.1 MeV via WinXCom program, and the results were compared with the experimental findings obtained at 0.04 MeV. Waste packaging glass was evaluated by adding varying amounts (0.005, 0.05, and 0.5 percentages) of Bi₂O₃ and Sb₂O₃. Seven different glass batches were prepared by following the procedures of precisely weighing the relevant amounts to obtain 10 g specimen in total, homogeneously mixing the respective contents, and thoroughly melting in an Au–Pt crucible via conventional electrical furnace at 1250 °C for 4 h. The linear attenuation coefficient (LAC) for glass specimens were experienced at 0.04 MeV, and it was found out that increasing contents of both oxides increased the LAC implying that a decrease in X-ray transmission occurred. From the point of WinXCom calculations, the LAC and mass attenuation coefficient (MAC) increased while half value layer (HVL) and mean free path (MFP) thicknesses decreased as the oxide substances increased in the glass specimens. That is, Sb₂O₃ addition provided higher X-rays attenuation characteristics in comparison to Bi₂O₃ additive. Further, the experimental data at 0.04 MeV were compared with WinXCom calculations, and it was figured out that the data were parallel for each other, but the correlation coefficient (R²) was found as 0.15 which means that the values were in loose agreement.