Exploring the potential of the mechanical/thermal properties and co-shielding ability of Bi2O3-doped aluminum borate ceramics against neutron/gamma radiation

The efficient optimisation of radiation shielding materials (RSMs), which protect people from potential radiant threats, is highly desirable; however, it remains challenging. This study addresses the low-cost fabrication of the ceramic-based RSMs, aluminium borate-based ceramics using Bi₂O₃ as a novel simultaneous shielding agent and sintering promoter. The phase compositions, microstructures, sintering kinetics, and performances of the as-prepared Bi₂O₃ doped aluminium borate ceramics (BDABCs) are systematically researched. Finally, co-shielding tests for neutron and gamma radiation are performed. The results demonstrate that Bi₂O₃ can positively influence the sintering densification process of BDABCs via the evident reduction in the sintering activation energy. The migration of the Bi₂O₃–B₂O₃ liquid phase affects the pore structure, crystal morphology, and thermal conductivity of the samples. The obtained BDABCs exhibited highly reliable mechanical properties with a maximum elastic modulus and modulus of rupture of 124.3 GPa and 54.9 MPa, respectively; controllable thermal conductivity from 1.32 to 6.16 W m^?1 K^?1; and 12 wt% Bi₂O₃-doped sample (1400 °C × 3 h, 1.5 cm) shows the best radiation shielding performance, including 58.6% neutron and 26.6% γ rays. The obtained results manifest the enormous potential of BDABCs as structural materials and functional RSMs.