This study comprehensively investigates the microstructure, mechanical properties, corrosion behavior, and radiation shielding performance of Fe-Mn and Fe-Mn-C based alloys produced using sintering, hot forging, and cold forging. Samples produced via powder metallurgy were pressed at 700 MPa and sintered at 1200 degrees C. Density values after following sintering; the average density reached approximately 7.3 g/cm3 after cold forging and 7.5 g/cm3 after hot forging. In mechanical testing, ductility increased and yield strength decreased with increasing Mn content. For example, the alloy containing 35% Mn exhibited a yield strength of 234 MPa and an elongation of 32%, while the alloy containing 20% Mn displayed a yield strength of 421 MPa and an elongation of 7.5%. The highest corrosion resistance was observed in hot-forged pure Fe (-408.7 mV), whereas Fe30Mn (-894.6 mV) and Fe20Mn1C (-759.1 mV) showed the lowest resistance, highlighting the detrimental effect of high Mn and carbon additions under certain conditions. The corrosion current density (Icorr) varied significantly, ranging from as low as 3.94 mu A/cm2 in hot-forged Fe to 89.28 mu A/cm2 in sintered Fe20Mn, demonstrating the critical role of processing routes in improving corrosion performance. Overall, hot forging enhanced corrosion resistance by up to 20 times compared to sintered conditions, making it the most effective method for optimizing the durability and degradation behavior of Fe-Mn alloys. Radiation shielding performance was evaluated using the mass attenuation coefficient (MAC). Experimental MAC measurements were taken at photon energies of 1.173 and 1.332 MeV from a60Co source. Additionally, Geant4 simulations and XCOM calculations were carried out for photon energies corresponding to 152Eu, 137Cs, and 60Co sources to evaluate attenuation across a broader energy spectrum. The experimental MAC values at 1.173 and 1.332 MeV were compared with Geant4 and XCOM results, and the relative differences (RD, %) were determined. The highest MAC values were observed in the Fe20Mn alloy, with values of 0.05738 cm2/g at 1.173 MeV and 0.05454 cm2/g at 1.332 MeV. Hot forging generally increased MAC values, while cold forging offered better results in certain compositions. The findings indicate that increasing density and decreasing porosity enhance both corrosion resistance and photon absorption capacity.

This study presents the synthesis and characterization of anorthite-based ceramics produced from ceramic tile waste and mussel shell bio-waste, aiming to develop sustainable gamma-ray shielding materials through a dual-waste valorization approach. Four ceramic compositions with varying mussel shell contents (0–30 wt. %) were fabricated via sintering at 1075 °C. The formation of the anorthite phase was confirmed by XRD, with increased crystallinity observed at higher mussel shell additions owing to the reactive CaO derived from shell decomposition. The mechanical properties and bulk density peaked at 10 wt. % mussel shell content, attributed to enhanced densification and fluxing effects, but declined at higher contents due to increased porosity from CO2 release during CaCO3 decomposition. The gamma-ray attenuation properties of the synthesized ceramics were evaluated experimentally using a NaI(Tl) scintillation detector with a 137Cs point source at 0.662 MeV and theoretically using the XCOM database and Geant4 Monte Carlo simulations over the energy range of 60-1408 keV. The Geant4 results showed excellent agreement with the XCOM calculations, with relative deviations of no more than 1.03%. The linear attenuation coefficient (LAC), half-value layer (HVL), radiation protection efficiency (RPE), and effective atomic number (Zeff) were determined and discussed in terms of the elemental composition and microstructural properties of the ceramic. Despite some reduction in shielding performance at higher mussel shell contents, the ceramics maintained effective gamma-ray attenuation, demonstrating the feasibility of combining industrial and marine bio-wastes to produce environmentally sustainable radiation shielding materials

This study examines waste glass fiber powder as a fluxing additive in mullite-based ceramics and its influence on mechanical properties and gamma radiation shielding. Ceramic samples with 0, 2.5, and 5 wt.

In this study, green-synthesized titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2NPs) and Nb2CTx MXene were incorporated into a polyvinyl alcohol–chitosan (PVA-CS) matrix, and multifunctional nanocomposite nanofibers were successfully fabricated via electrospinning. Structural, morphological, thermal, surface, dielectric, photocatalytic, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties were systematically investigated. FTIR, Raman, and XRD analyses confirmed the successful incorporation of TiO2NPs and Nb2CTx into the polymer matrix, while SEM images revealed homogeneous and bead-free nanofibers with diameters ranging from 33 to 145 nm. Thermal analyses demonstrated enhanced stability after TiO2 incorporation, with the activation energy increasing from 120 to 143 kJ/mol. The water contact angle increased from 71.0° to 77.1°, indicating improved surface hydrophobicity. Furthermore, TiO2 addition enhanced dielectric behavior and electrical conductivity, reaching 9.1 × 10⁻⁶ S cm⁻¹ at 10⁶ Hz. Photocatalytic experiments showed that nanofibers containing 10

In this study, soil gas concentrations of 222Rn (Radon), 220Rn (Thoron), and CO2 were measured along the I(center dot)zmir Fault Zone in western T & uuml;rkiye to investigate the relationship between gas anomalies and fault-controlled permeability. A total of 342 measurement points were systematically sampled along the two segments of the I(center dot)zmir Fault (IF), spatial variations of soil gas concentrations were analyzed to identify locations that indicate anomalies. 222Rn (Radon), 220Rn (Thoron), and CO2 concentrations were determined in soil gas in the areas surrounding the fault. Quantile-quantile (Q-Q) plots were used to determine anomaly thresholds for each parameter, and concentration values exceeding these thresholds were classified as anomalies. The results reveal significant spatial variability in soil gas concentrations along the fault system. Although anomalies were detected in both segments of the I(center dot)zmir Fault, multiple gas anomalies were predominantly concentrated at the westernmost end of the Bal & ccedil;ova-Narl & imath;dere segment. This result suggests the following regarding fault activity: The concentration of multi-gas anomalies along the Bal & ccedil;ova-Narl & imath;dere segment suggests active degassing processes along this part of the fault. This pattern suggests that gas distribution in the study area is not solely controlled by distance to the main fault line, but may instead reflect the heterogeneous permeability structure of the fault zone and the influence of localized fractures and preferential migration pathways. These findings demonstrate that integrated soil gas measurements provide an effective geochemical approach for identifying structurally controlled gas migration pathways and localized degassing zones in active tectonic environments.

The gamma-ray shielding performance of the P2O5–ZnO–SrO (PZS) ternary phosphate glass system was examined systematically using the Geant4 (v11.2.2) Monte Carlo toolkit. Five glass compositions with ZnO content of x = 0, 5, 10, 20 and 30 mol% (PZS0–PZS30) were evaluated at eleven photon energies (40 keV – 10 MeV) and eight sample thicknesses per energy (from 0.3 mm in the low-energy region up to 15 cm). The mass attenuation coefficient (μ/ρ), half-value layer (HVL), tenth-value layer (TVL), mean free path (MFP), effective atomic number (Zeff), and energy dependence (ED) parameter were determined for all compositions. The simulation results were verified against NIST XCOM reference data, with relative deviations of less than 1% for all compositions and energies. Increasing the ZnO content consistently enhanced shielding performance: μ/ρ increased by 37% at 81 keV (from 0.438 to 0.598 cm2/g), due to the Z-dependence of the photoelectric effect. In the low-energy diagnostic region (40–60 keV) this compositional enhancement reached 48% (2.372 to 3.517 cm2/g at 40 keV), with PZS30 exhibiting a half-value layer of only 0.57 mm. In contrast, the compositional spread at 662 keV narrowed to 4%, aligning with the Z-insensitivity of Compton scattering. Compared with reference shielding materials, PZS30 outperforms commercial soda–lime silicate glass and standard concrete while eliminating the toxicological concerns associated with lead- or bismuth-based shielding materials. These findings show that the PZS system is an effective lead-free radiation-shielding option suitable for medical, nuclear, and industrial environments that require optical transparency.

Interest in new-generation materials is increasing daily. New studies and research on MAX phases in many different structures and the superior mechanical and physical properties of MXenes make MXenes the focus of research. In this study, the synthesis, characterization, and gamma-ray shielding properties of niobium-based MAX phases (Nb2AlC) and MXenes obtained from this powder (Nb2CTx) were investigated. Nb2AlC and Nb2CTx stand out from other MAX phase materials with superior properties in materials with mechanical, thermal, electrical, and chemical resistance properties. Selective etching of Al layers was performed using hydrofluoric acid (HF) to produce Nb2AlC MAX phase powders and Nb2CTx MXenes. The etching parameters (HF concentration: 38-40%, time: 30-360 h) were optimized to obtain exfoliated accordion-like MXene nanostructures. The best MXene transformation occurred after 168 h of etching. Gamma-ray attenuation measurements highlight their potential in nuclear applications by utilizing their oxidation resistance, thermal stability, and mechanical strength. In addition, the-radiation shielding properties of MAX phase materials were investigated, and the best result was obtained for Nb2AlC.

In this work, the radiation shielding behavior of 20Na2O-(80-x)B2O3-xBi2O3 glasses, where x=0, 10, 20, and 30 mol%, was studied using Geant4 Monte Carlo simulations. The effect of Bi2O3 addition was examined over the 50-5000 keV energy range by calculating the LAC, MAC, MFP, HVL, TVL, Zeff , TF, and RPE values. The results show that adding Bi2O3 improves the glasses' photon-attenuation capability. Among the studied compositions, NaBiB30 gave the strongest gamma-ray shielding response, with LAC values of 22.34 cm-1 at 50 keV and 0.150 cm-1 at 5000 keV. The decrease in HVL, TVL, and MFP values as Bi2O3 content increases also indicates that thinner glass thicknesses are needed for effective attenuation. The increase in Zeff values further confirms the role of high-Z bismuth atoms in enhancing the probability of photon interactions. Fast neutron removal cross-section results showed that ΣR values decreased from 0.0985 to 0.0820 cm-1 as Bi2O3 content increased, indicating that the neutron shielding response was not improved in the same way as gamma-ray attenuation. These results suggest that Bi2O3-rich sodium borate glasses, particularly NaBiB30, are promising lead-free materials for gamma-ray shielding applications.

Increasing energy demands and environmental problems have increased interest in advanced material technologies. In this context, two-dimensional nanomaterials, especially MXene, stand out because of their superior properties, such as high conductivity, mechanical strength, and chemical stability. Vanadium-based V2AlC and its derived V2CTx structures are noteworthy candidates for nuclear and energy applications because of their low neutron absorption capacity and high oxidation resistance. In this study, MXene was produced from the V2AlC MAX phase using a selective etching method, and the properties of the resulting V2CTx structure were investigated in detail. As a result of the etching process using hydrofluoric acid, it was observed that the dense and compact V2AlC structure transformed into a layered and "accordion-like" morphology. As the etching time increased, the layers became thinner, the void ratio increased, and the structure became more distinct. However, very long etching times also carry the risk of structural degradation. The produced samples were analyzed using different characterization techniques, such as SEM, XRD, TEM, Raman spectroscopy, and FTIR. The findings showed that the Al layers were largely removed, and functional groups, such as -O, -OH, and -F, were formed on the surface. XRD and Raman results confirmed that the transformation from the MAX phase to the MXene structure was successful. Furthermore, the gamma-ray attenuation performance of the materials was investigated. The results showed that the attenuation coefficient decreased as the photon energy increased. The best radiation shielding performance was obtained for the sample etched for 120 h. This indicates that not only density but also microstructure and phase distribution play a significant role. In conclusion, V2CTx MXene structures are promising materials for energy, environmental, and nuclear applications owing to their improved physical properties and effective radiation shielding capabilities.

The Balçova–Narlıdere segment of the İzmir Fault is an active tectonic region with high geodynamic significance. Soil gas radon (222Rn) and thoron (220Rn) concentration ratios were studied along this segment to evaluate their potential as geochemical indicators of fault activity. 222Rn concentrations ranged from 440 to 32,233 Bq/m3 and 220Rn from 328 to 29,367 Bq/m3. A special focus was on the 222Rn/220Rn ratio as a geodynamic precursor. 222Rn/220Rn ratios were analyzed specifically at locations where single gas anomalies were detected, allowing them to distinguish among different depths of the gas source and hence different fault processes.

The gamma radiation shielding features of four different boro-tellurite glasses with chemical composition xTiO2-yBi2O3-zB2O3-(100-x-y-z) TeO2 (x = 5, 10 mol%, y = 10,20, 25, and 30 mol% and z = 20 and 30 mol%) were examined using FLUKA Monte Carlo code. The simulations were run for photon energies of 245, 356, 511, 662, 964, 1173, and 1332 keV emitted by 152Eu, 133Ba, 22Na, 137Cs, and 60Co. The obtained results show that the Bi2O3 addition increased the mass attenuation coefficient (MAC) ranges from 0.2559 to 0.3584 cm2 g-1, 0.1454 to 0.1869 cm2 g-1, 0.0992 to 0.1167 cm2 g-1, 0.0803 to 0.0902 cm2 g-1, 0.0620 to 0.0667 cm2 g-1, 0.0549 to 0.0581 cm2 g-1, and 0.0511 to 0.0535 cm2 g-1 for 245, 356, 511, 662, 964, 1173, and 1332 keV, respectively. The photon attenuation parameters, such as half-value layer (HVL), ten-value layer (TVL), and mean free path (MFP), were also studied. The results showed that Bi2O3 substitution positively impacts the produced glasses' photon attenuation abilities.

This paper aims to study the radiation shielding properties of lanthanide glasses, according to the formula xTiO(2)-51La(2)O(3)-(24-x) B2O3-8Gd(2)O(3)-8Nb(2)O(5)-6ZrO(2)-3SiO(2) (x= 0, 4, 8, 12, 16, wt. %). Using FLUKA Monte Carlo code, the mass attenuation coefficients (MAC), half-value layers (HVL), and effective atomic numbers (Zeff) of the lanthanide glasses were estimated at medical diagnostic energies (between 20 and 150 keV). The MACs of the glasses are between 0.5183 and 24.407 cm(2)/g for 0Ti, 0.5215-24.788 cm(2)/g for 4Ti, 0.5193-25.161 cm(2)/g for 8Ti, 0.5163-25.529 cm(2)/g for 12Ti, and 0.5183-25.916 cm(2)/g for 16Ti. These results are consistent with the PhyX theoretical database (with a percentage difference below 3 %). The lanthanide glasses showed good photon shielding ability compared to lead concrete, and RS-360 & RS-253-G18 commercial glasses, commonly used shielding materials. In this work, 16Ti possesses the highest, lowest, and highest values of MAC, HVL, and Z(eff) , respectively, at the various energies investigated, which implies that the 16Ti sample has better shielding performance. All in all, this work demonstrated that adding TiO2 to the glass samples could provide preferable shielding features.

This study aimed to develop and evaluate SnO2-doped borosilicate-based glasses within the SiO2-B2O3-Na2O-K2O-ZnO system for potential applications in gamma radiation shielding. Glasses containing 2.5 %, 5 %, 7.5 %, and 10 % SnO2 were synthesized using the conventional melt-quenching method and labeled as Sn-X, where X indicates the wt% of SnO2. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed that the glasses had a fully amorphous structure. As the SnO2 content increased, there was a notable rise in the density of trigonal BO3 units and the glass transition temperature (Tg). This phenomenon was attributed to the presence of Sn4+ ions, which stabilize non-bridging oxygens (NBOs) and enhance network connectivity. The densities of the glasses were measured using Archimedes' principle, revealing that the molar volume decreased with higher SnO2 content, likely due to the compacting effect of Sn4+ cations. The radiation shielding properties of the glasses were investigated using a 3" x 3 '' NaI(Tl) detector, with results validated by Geant4 simulations and Phy-X/PSD software. Among all samples, Sn-10 exhibited the highest linear attenuation coefficients (LACs) and the lowest values for half-value layer (HVL), mean free path (MFP), and transmission factor (TF). These results indicate that Sn-10 has superior gamma-ray attenuation performance. This study demonstrates that incorporating SnO2 significantly enhances both the structural integrity and radiation shielding efficiency of borosilicate glasses, making them promising candidates for applications in medical, nuclear, and aerospace fields.

The recently observed low-energy magnetic dipole (M1) and electric dipole (E1) excitations in deformed Sm-151,Sm-153,Sm-155 are theoretically analysed. Rotational Invariant (RI-) and Translational- Galilean Invariant (TGI-) Quasiparticle Nuclear Model (QPNM) are used in the calculation of M1 and E1 properties, respectively. Both theories consider monopole pairing between nucleons, and the deformed Woods-Saxon potential is used as the mean-field potential. Pyatov's symmetry restoration procedure is applied in these models to eliminate the spurious modes from the intrinsic nuclear excitations. Model calculations show that although E1 transitions dominate the low-energy dipole spectra of Sm-151,Sm-153,Sm-155, many low-lying M1 transitions exist in these nuclei. It is shown that the most significant contribution to E1 and M1 excitation comes from Delta K = +/- 1 transitions. The theory satisfactorily reproduces the gross features of low-lying dipole modes determined from the Oslo Method analysis of the experimental spectra.

This study investigates the effects of Zinc (Zn), Manganese (Mn), and Iron (Fe) additions on the microstructure, corrosion behaviour, biocompatibility, mechanical, and gamma-ray shielding properties of Magnesium (Mg) alloys prepared in various compositions using powder metallurgy (PM). The microstructure and mechanical properties of these alloys were analyzed using electron microscopes (SEM and FE-SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) methods. The results showed positive changes in the material's structure when the percentage of zinc added to pure magnesium increased. It was observed that the material became ductile, and the ductile fracture increased when the zinc ratio increased. The gamma-ray shielding properties of newly produced Mg-based alloys have also been discussed since they have a high potential for use in space technologies. Radiation shielding measurements have been performed using a 3′′ × 3″ NaI(Tl) scintillation detector NaI (Tl) gamma-ray spectrometer. The gamma-ray shielding parameters such as the linear attenuation coefficients (μl), mass attenuation coefficient (μm), effective atomic number (Zeff), half-value layer (HVL), and tenth-value layer (TVL) have been determined experimentally at photon energies of 0.511 MeV (emitted from a22Na radioactive point source) and 1.173 MeV and 1.332 MeV (emitting from a60Co radioactive point source). The obtained parameters have been compared to the theoretical results of the XCOM software, and a satisfactory agreement has been found. It can be said from the results that the Mg30Zn alloy has the best shielding properties among the produced materials.

The nuclear electric dipole (E1) polarizability (alpha E1) is mainly dominated by the dynamics of the giant dipole resonance (GDR). alpha E1 is proportional to the (-2) moment of the total photo nuclear cross-section (sigma -2). This research investigates the relationship between alpha E1 and sigma -2, along with the effects of the Pygmy Dipole Resonance (PDR) and GDR in odd-mass actinide nuclei. For the first time, alpha E1 and sigma -2 values have been calculated using the Translational and Galilean Invariant Quasiparticle Phonon Nuclear Model (TGI-QPNM) approach for odd-A actinide nuclei. According to TGI-QPNM results, E1 dipole transitions in the GDR region significantly contribute to sigma -2 due to the energy weighting factor. Below the neutron separation threshold, the PDR in neutron-rich nuclei shows a contribution of about 5% to sigma -2 values. In this region, E1 polarizability can reach values of 20%-25%. The alpha E1 values indicate the presence of PDR in these nuclei. Additionally, the Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS), a new machine learning method, has been performed to analyze the relationship between alpha E1 and sigma -2. The ANFIS results have been compared with those from the TGI-QPNM and experimental data. The TGI-QPNM model achieves an R2 of 0.85-0.95, while the ANFIS model achieves an R2 of 0.99. Moreover, the study suggests that the ANFIS model, consistent with TGI-QPNM results, could be an effective tool for estimating sigma -2 in odd-A actinide nuclei.

The electric dipole response of well-deformed Yb-171,Yb-173 in the giant dipole resonance (GDR) and pygmy dipole resonance (PDR) range has been theoretically analyzed using the translation and Galileo invariant quasiparticle phonon nuclear model (TGI-QPNM). The TGI-QPNM consists of an axially symmetric Woods-Saxon Potential, monopole pairing, dipole-dipole residual interaction, and the restoration terms for broken translation and Galilean symmetries. Numerical calculations show the existence of considerable E1 excitations around the neutron separation threshold (S-n) in both isotopes. The TGI-QPNM results of the photoabsorption cross-section give a double-humped shape in both nuclei, consistent with the available experimental data. The integrated moments (sigma(0), sigma(-1)) and the centroid energies in the GDR region are also reproduced well.

This study explores the integrated total photonuclear cross section (σ0) within the context of the giant dipole resonance (GDR) in odd-mass actinide nuclei. Using artificial neural networks (ANNs) and adaptive neuro-fuzzy ınference system (ANFIS) machine learning algorithms, we analyze the GDR behaviors associated with the σ0 values in these nuclei. The modeling results obtained from ANFIS and ANN are compared among themselves and with the Translational Galilean Invariant Quasiparticle Phonon Nuclear Model (TGI-QPNM) and experimental data. Machine learning analysis and TGI-QPNM results provide valuable insights into the GDR characteristics of odd-mass actinides, shedding light on their photonuclear properties. The ANFIS model has achieved an R2 value of 0.98 and an RMSE of 0.19, while the ANN model (LM) has yielded an R2 value of 0.95 and an RMSE of 0.24. These findings deepen our understanding of nuclear physics, underscoring the role of artificial intelligence techniques in deciphering complex phenomena within nuclear structures. In conclusion, our study suggests that the ANFIS model, in agreement with TGI-QPNM results, generally outperforms the ANN (LM) method and could be a more effective tool for estimating the energy-weighted sum rule for GDR.