The increasing density and number density of Gd ions indicate that addition of Gd2O3 contributes to a denser glass structure. The decreasing and r(p), combined with the increasing field strength, point to a more tightly packed and interconnected glass network. The XRD spectrum predicts the amorphous nature of glasses. The relative intensities of these peaks in FTIR spectrum suggest the degree of structural transformation due to compositional variations. The experimental investigation of the gamma-ray shielding properties was conducted in the narrow beam transmission mode using NaI (Tl) scintillation detector. The mass attenuation coefficients (MAC) were measured at on 356, 511, 662, 1170, 1275, and 1330 keV. The obtained values are validated with WinXCom software. The glass with the highest BaO, PbO2 and Gd2O3 contents has the highest linear attenuation coefficient (LAC). The effective atomic number (Z(eff)) for the prepared glasses at 356 keV lies within the range of 23.34 - 29.31.

The density of B2O3-TiO2-SrO-ZnO-La2O3-CeO2 glasses increases from 3.288 to 3.632 g cm− 3. The decrease in Young’s modulus (E) from 101.943 GPa to 99.253 GPa results in a reduction in overall rigidity. The band gap energy (Eg) decreases from 3.351 eV to 3.208 eV. The refractive index (n) increases from 2.308 to 2.343. This suggests an increase in enhanced polarizability. The shielding competence has been theoretically assessed from 0.015 to 15 MeV using the Phy-X/PSD computational platform. Evaluations of fundamental shielding parameters show that shielding performance improves with increasing ZnO content. The LCZn29 sample exhibited the lowest MFP and HVL across all samples, confirming its superior efficacy and significant promise as a material for gamma-ray shielding in intermediate-energy ranges.

The study prepared B2O3-PbO-ZnO-Bi2O3 glasses via melt quenching. With increasing Bi2O3 and ZnO concentrations, there was an increase in density from 5.686 to 6.262 g·cm-3, and the molar mass from 214.702 to 239.187 g·mol-1. This led to a 66.208 to 62.309 oxygen packing density decrease and a 15.104 to 16.049 cm3·mol-1 and 0.844 to 0.925 oxygen molar volume, and optical basicity increase, respectively. Mechanical properties showed slight improvements, with Young's, shear, and longitudinal moduli increasing marginally. A 2.764 to 2.730 eV band gap energy decrease was observed, alongside a modest rise in refractive index and dielectric constants. The radiation shielding properties were enhanced by higher Bi2O3 and ZnO contents, as evidenced by increased linear attenuation coefficients (LAC) and radiation protection efficiencies (RPE), confirming the material's improved attenuation capability.

ABSTRACT This work reports the physical, optical, and gamma‐ray shielding behavior of the BaO‐PbO 2 ‐B 2 O 3 ‐Pr 6 O 11 glasses. The present study evaluates the viability of present glasses as transparent shielding materials. The glasses are prepared using the melt‐quenching technique. The amorphous nature is verified using X‐ray diffraction (XRD) spectroscopy. The optical characteristics are evaluated using UV–Vis absorption spectroscopy, while the radiation shielding competence is experimentally quantified using a narrow beam NaI (Tl) detector setup at 356, 511, 662, 1173, and 1330 keV. The incorporation of BaO, PbO 2 , and Pr 6 O 11 increased the density of the glasses from 4.252 g cm −3 to a peak of 4.898 g cm −3 . The UV–Vis spectra exhibited four distinctive absorption peaks at ~446, 472, 484, and 582 nm, confirming the active presence of Pr 3+ ions. The addition of BaO, PbO 2 , and Pr 6 O 11 facilitated the formation of non‐bridging oxygens, which resulted in a decrease in the optical band gap ( E g ) from 2.467 eV down to 2.138 eV. The experimental radiation shielding data confirmed that the highest concentration of BaO, PbO 2 , and Pr 6 O 11 improved the attenuation coefficients across the tested energy spectrum. The 3Pr 6 O 11 glass represents a highly promising and practical alternative for transparent radiation shielding windows in diagnostic radiology and nuclear facilities.

The human exposure to hazardous ionizing radiation is increased due to the progression of nuclear technology across energy, medicine, and industrial sectors, etc. Developing transparent shielding materials is essential to overcome the structural and opacity limitations of traditional materials like concrete. The 30TeO2-xPbO2-xBi2O3-(70-2x)B2O3 (x = 10, 12, 14 and 16 mol%) glasses are prepared via the melt-quenching technique. The density (rho) increases from 4.759 to 5.561 g cm-3 due to the incorporation of heavy metal oxides (HMOs). The molar volume (Vm) increases from 32.194 to 33.657 cm3 mol-1. The oxygen packing density (OPD) decreased from 80.761 to 75.468. It is due to the depolymerization and the formation of Non-Bridging Oxygens (NBOs). The calculations based on the Makishima-Mackenzie model showed a consistent reduction in elastic moduli. The optical band gap energy (Eg) decreases from 2.969 to 2.813 eV. The substitution of B2O3 with PbO2 and Bi2O3 greatly enhances photon attenuation. The radiation shielding evaluations using Phy-X software confirmed that the mass attenuation coefficient (MAC) reached as high as 72.00 cm2 g-1 at 0.015 MeV. This high-density PbBi16 sample provided the most compact shielding as indicated by the lowest half-value layer (HVL) of 0.0293 cm and a reduced mean free path (MFP).

The density (rho) of the B2O3-CuO-TiO2-CaO-ZnO glasses increases from 3.460 +/- 0.001 to 3.933 +/- 0.001 g/cm3 and the molar volume (Vm) reduces from 20.626to 18.594 cm3/mol with increase in the ZnO concentration. The elastic moduli are found to increase from 52.592 to 58.84 GPa, 39.909 to 45.414 GPa, 21.885 to 24.392 GPa and 69.089 to 77.937 GPa for the Young modulus (E), bulk modulus (B), shear modulus (G) and longitudinal modulus (L) respectively with increase in ZnO concentration. The shielding parameters are found to vary with the chemical composition of the samples.The variation of transmission factor (TF) and radiation protection efficiency (RPE) has been studied for the different thicknesses of 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 cm respectively. The thickness of the samples is doubled in each step and it is observed that the TF decreases by 0.92 %, 1.83 % and 2.75 % for the Zn5 sample; 1.83 %, 3.63 % and 5.41 % for the Zn10 sample; 3.63 %, 7.12 % and 10.54 % for the Zn15 sample and 7.12 %, 13.74 % and 19.96 % for the Zn20 sample respectively with respect to the 0.5 cm thickness of the respective samples. It is concluded that the higher ZnO content and increased thickness consistently improve attenuation, particularly evident in Zn20 glass at 4 cm thickness, which offers the most effective shielding against gamma-photon radiation. The shielding effectiveness of the Zn20 is also compared to the already existing shielding materials.

The fabricated glasses follow the general formula: xBi2O3-(80-2x)B2O3-15TeO2-5MgO-xPbO2 (where x = 5, 7, 9, and 11 mol%). The density rises from 3.665 to 4.467 g/cm3 with the substitution of B2O3 with Bi2O3 and PbO2. The molar volume rises from 30.001 to 32.216 cm3/mol. The structural modification led to a decrease in oxygen packing density (OPD) from 89.997 to 81.947. It indicates the loose packing. The mechanical characterization indicates a reduction in rigidity due to decrease in Young’s modulus (E) from 92.934 to 77.754 GPa. The optical analysis showed a decrease in the optical band gap (Eg) from 3.217 to 2.962 eV. The refractive index (n) increases from 2.341 to 2.407. The gamma radiation shielding performance has been studied through Phy-X software across 0.015-15 MeV. The glass containing 11 mol% Bi2O3 and PbO2showed the highest linear attenuation coefficient (LAC) across all energies.

This work reports the physical, optical, and gamma-ray shielding behavior of the BaO-PbO2-B2O3-Pr6O11 glasses. The present study evaluates the viability of present glasses as transparent shielding materials. The glasses are prepared using the melt-quenching technique. The amorphous nature is verified using X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectroscopy. The optical characteristics are evaluated using UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy, while the radiation shielding competence is experimentally quantified using a narrow beam NaI (Tl) detector setup at 356, 511, 662, 1173, and 1330 keV. The incorporation of BaO, PbO2, and Pr6O11 increased the density of the glasses from 4.252 g cm-3 to a peak of 4.898 g cm-3. The UV-Vis spectra exhibited four distinctive absorption peaks at ~446, 472, 484, and 582 nm, confirming the active presence of Pr3+ ions. The addition of BaO, PbO2, and Pr6O11 facilitated the formation of non-bridging oxygens, which resulted in a decrease in the optical band gap (Eg) from 2.467 eV down to 2.138 eV. The experimental radiation shielding data confirmed that the highest concentration of BaO, PbO2, and Pr6O11 improved the attenuation coefficients across the tested energy spectrum. The 3Pr6O11 glass represents a highly promising and practical alternative for transparent radiation shielding windows in diagnostic radiology and nuclear facilities.

The use of transparent, and lead-free shielding materials is very important for safety in nuclear and medical environments. The present glasses offer excellent transparency and formability, optimizing their structural stability and photon attenuation properties. The introduction of BaO/ZnO into borate glasses increases the density ( ρ ) from 2.849 to 3.811 gcm −3 . Correspondingly, the molar mass (M) increases, while the molar volume (V m ) decreases, indicating a more tightly packed glass matrix. The ion concentration increases (N) and related properties such as polaron radius (r p ) and interionic distance (r i ) decrease, further compacting the network and improving its structural integrity. The elastic moduli increase, as BaO/ZnO content increases. The shielding properties have been investigated from 0.122 to 0.678 MeV. The comparison of half value layer (HVL) with other shielding glasses confirms that Zn20Ba20 glass has good attenuation performance.

The (55-x)B2O3-(22+x)BaO-13ZnO-5CaO-4MgO-1La(2)O(3) (where x = 0, 4, 8, 12 mol%) glasses were prepared via the melt-quenching technique. FTIR spectral indicates the initial polymerization of the network followed by severe depolymerization beyond 26 mol% BaO. It is evidenced by the decrease in the fraction of tetrahedral boron (N-4) and the formation of non-bridging oxygens (NBOs). The density is increased from 3.869 to 4.274 gcm(-3). The elastic moduli exhibited a softening trend, with Young's modulus decreasing from 96.05 to 83.38 GPa. Optical absorption studies indicated a red shift in the optical band gap from 2.969 to 2.689 eV. Conversely, the refractive index increased from 2.405 to 2.486. Additionally, the radiation shielding performance was investigated using Phy-X software. At low energies, high linear attenuation coefficient (LAC) values were observed due to photoelectric absorption (78.05 cm(-1) at 0.02 MeV for the Ba34), while the effective atomic number increased from 39.97 (Ba22) to 43.73 (Ba34). These prepared glasses conforming their suitability as efficient shielding materials.

The use of transparent, and lead-free shielding materials is very important for safety in nuclear and medical environments. The present glasses offer excellent transparency and formability, optimizing their structural stability and photon attenuation properties. The introduction of BaO/ZnO into borate glasses increases the density (rho) from 2.849 to 3.811 gcm-3. Correspondingly, the molar mass (M) increases, while the molar volume (Vm) decreases, indicating a more tightly packed glass matrix. The ion concentration increases (N) and related properties such as polaron radius (rp) and interionic distance (ri) decrease, further compacting the network and improving its structural integrity. The elastic moduli increase, as BaO/ZnO content increases. The shielding properties have been investigated from 0.122 to 0.678 MeV. The comparison of half value layer (HVL) with other shielding glasses confirms that Zn20Ba20 glass has good attenuation performance. Density increases to 3.811 g cm-3; BaO/ZnO creates a more compact network.Higher BaO/ZnO content boosts elastic moduli and hardness.FTIR confirms structural shifts from trigonal BO3 to tetrahedral BO4 units.Zn20Ba20 hits highest Zeff (28.78) and lowest HVL (0.325 cm) at 0.122 MeV.Zn20Ba20 glasses outperform several standard shielding glasses.

This study investigates the physical, structural, and radiation shielding properties of a B2O3-PbO2-BaO-CaO-Sm2O3 glass. The density increases (3.953-4.388 g/cm3) with higher BaO and Sm2O3 content due to the incorporation of heavier elements. The molar volume shows non-linear trends attributed to competing effects of Sm3+ ion incorporation and network disruption. The FTIR spectroscopy revealed structural changes. The formation of non-bridging oxygen (NBO) improves with rising Sm2O3 content. The elastic moduli decrease with Sm2O3 content. The mass attenuation coefficients (MAC) are investigated at energies corresponding to those emitted from Eu-152 source using Phy-X software. The MAC at 0.122 MeV was found to range from 1.179 to 1.264 cm2/g. The effective atomic number for 1 S m sample shows a high value of 46.33 at 0.122 MeV. The half value layer for 1 S m sample is 0.149 cm at 0.122 MeV. Among the prepared glasses, the glass with the composition 11PbO2-25BaO-10CaO-50B2O3-4Sm2O3 exhibited the highest MAC.

The B2O3-Na2O-Al2O3-BaO-CaO glasses were synthesized using the melt-quenching technique. The FTIR spectroscopy revealed the depolymerization which is evidenced by the conversion of rigid BO4 structural units into asymmetric BO3 units containing non-bridging oxygens (NBOs). Consequently, the fraction of four-coordinated boron atoms (N4) decreased significantly from 0.32 to 0.17. The density is increased from 2.878 to 3.189 gcm(-3) and a reduction in inter-ionic distance. However, despite this densification, the mechanical integrity is weakened due to the breakdown of the B-O-B linkage network as Young's modulus (E) declined from 99.419 to 91.233 GPa. The optical bandgap energy (Eg) is increased from 2.853 to 2.942 eV. The linear attenuation coefficient (LAC) shows a positive correlation with the amount of BaO. The Ba18Ca16 sample exhibited the lowest half value layer (HVL) indicating that it is suitable for radiation shielding.

Novel 11SrO-10ZnO-(20+x)PbO-(58-x)B2O3-1Gd2O3 (where x = 0 mol %, 3 mol %, 6 mol %, and 9 mol %) glasses were synthesized via the melt-quenching technique to evaluate their potential for optical and shielding applications. The experimental results indicated an increase in density from 4.569 to 5.117 g/cm3 due to heavy PbO incorporation, while the oxygen packing density decreased with PbO content. This suggests the structural depolymerization and the formation of nonbridging oxygens. It resulted in a decrease in the Young's modulus E from 88.72 to 76.67 GPa. The optical analysis revealed a decrease in the band gap energy Eg from 3.351 to 3.208 eV and an increase in the refractive index n from 2.308 to 2.343. The gamma-ray shielding was evaluated using Phy-X/PSD software. The mass attenuation coefficient and effective atomic number increased with PbO content. The Pb29 sample exhibited superior shielding competence, making it a promising candidate for radiation protection applications.

ABSTRACT The study prepared B 2 O 3 ‐PbO‐ZnO‐Bi 2 O 3 glasses via melt quenching. With increasing Bi 2 O 3 and ZnO concentrations, there was an increase in density from 5.686 to 6.262 g·cm −3 , and the molar mass from 214.702 to 239.187 g·mol −1 . This led to a 66.208 to 62.309 oxygen packing density decrease and a 15.104 to 16.049 cm 3 ·mol −1 and 0.844 to 0.925 oxygen molar volume, and optical basicity increase, respectively. Mechanical properties showed slight improvements, with Young's, shear, and longitudinal moduli increasing marginally. A 2.764 to 2.730 eV band gap energy decrease was observed, alongside a modest rise in refractive index and dielectric constants. The radiation shielding properties were enhanced by higher Bi 2 O 3 and ZnO contents, as evidenced by increased linear attenuation coefficients (LAC) and radiation protection efficiencies (RPE), confirming the material's improved attenuation capability.

The current work aims to fabricate new borate-based glasses with good physical, mechanical, optical, and radiation shielding performance for radiation shielding applications as radiation protection windows or barriers. Therefore, a borate-based glass system was fabricated, which is described by the formula of (70-x-y) B2O3 + (15 +x) CaO + (10 +y) ZnO + 4 Na2O + 0.5 Y2O3 + 0.5 La2O3; where x = 0, 2, 4, and 6 mol%, while y = 0, 3, 6, and 9 mol%. The structural analysis using FTIR reveals progressive network modifications. Optical studies show an increase in optical bandgap energy by 22.54 % when the CaO and ZnO partially substitute the B2O3 compounds within the fabricated glasses. It results in a reduction in refractive index and dielectric constant of 6.66 % and 12.89 %, respectively. The partial substitution of CaO and ZnO for the B2O3 also reflects structural densification and reduced polarizability. The improved optical transparency and reduced reflection losses highlight the suitability of these glasses for optical applications. Additionally, according to the data obtained by Phy-X software, the mentioned substitution of CaO and ZnO for the B2O3 compound enhances the linear attenuation coefficient by 27.67 % and 12.67 % at 0.1 MeV and 0.662 MeV, respectively. The investigations confirm that adding ZnO and CaO to the glasses can enhance their shielding performance, where their half-value thickness is reduced by 21.67 % and 11.25 % at 0.1 and 0.662 MeV, respectively. Therefore, the substitution of CaO and ZnO for the B2O3 shows that the glasses remain mechanically robust and suitable for structural applications such as radiation protection windows or barriers.

In this study, waste glasses were repurposed to develop radiation shielding materials with compositions following the formula: 10Na2O-45B2O3-xPbO2-(45-x)waste glass, where x = 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40 wt%. Melt-quenching was used to synthesize the glasses. The structural, optical, and radiation shielding properties were analyzed. Density was measured using Archimedes' principle, which showed a 2.843-3.35 g/cm3 increase with increased PbO2 content. The glasses' amorphous nature was confirmed by XRD analysis. The FTIR and Raman spectroscopy revealed structural changes influenced by PbO2 concentrations. There was a 2.351 to 1.826 eV optical band gap energy decrease with PbO2 additions up to 35 wt%, which then increased to 2.190 eV at 40 wt% due to PbO2's dual network modifier and former role. The Monte Carlo simulation (MCNP-5 code)was used to evaluate the linear attenuation coefficient of the prepared glass samples over the energy interval of 0.015-15 MeV. The simulated data depicts that the linear attenuation coefficient increased throughout 60.898-133.651 cm-1 (at 0.015 MeV), 1.312-2.618 cm-1 (at 0.15 MeV),0.180-0.215 cm-1 (at 1 MeV), and 0.073-0.102 cm-1 (at 10 MeV), respectively, when the PbO2 concentration rose within the prepared glass system throughout 20-40 wt %. Based on the simulated values of linear attenuation coefficients, the half-value thickness, thickness-equivalent lead, radiation protection efficiency, and transmission factor were calculated for the prepared glasses.The PbO2increase enhanced the prepared glasses' radiation protection efficiency. Therefore, these findings suggest that waste glasses doped with PbO2offer promising applications in radiation protection while contributing to sustainable waste management.

The PbO-SrO-ZnO-B2O3 (PSZB) glasses were synthesized through the melt-quenching. The introduction of larger-sized PbO into the glass matrix led to structural alterations, elucidated by a marginal elevation in density and molar volume values from 4.292 g/cm3 to 4.922 g/cm3 and 29.812 cm3 mol−1 to 30.676 cm3 mol−1 respectively. The expansion of the network was found to contribute to the rise in oxygen molar volume (Vo) from 15.691 to 19.173 cm3 mol−1. Phy-X software was used to compute the shielding characteristics theoretically in the energy range of 0.015–15 MeV. The mass attenuation coefficients (MAC), half value layer (HVL) and mean free path (MFP) have been tested against photon energy. The radiation shielding capabilities increased with increasing PbO content. The present glasses' HVL are compared to that of different tellurite glasses at 0.1 and 0.15 MeV. PSZB4 glass with greater PbO content (50 mol%) has shown outstanding gamma radiation shielding properties than its counterparts.