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This research examines the effects of varying titanium oxide (TiO 2) concentrations in glass formulations, denoted as [(53-x)B 2 O 3 –7MgO–20BaF 2 –20Na 2 O-xTiO 2 ] or BMBNTix, where x varies from 0 to 8 mol% in 2 % increments, on optical properties and radiation shielding effectiveness. Using MCNP5 (MC) Monte Carlo simulations and Phy-X software, this study assesses a range of photon energies from 0.015 to 15 MeV, focusing on key radiation shielding metrics such as the linear attenuation coefficient (μ), the half-value layer (HVL), and the tenth value layer (TVL). The results reveal a clear relationship between increased TiO 2 levels in the BMBNTix glasses and improved radiation shielding performance. Notably, the linear attenuation coefficient (μ) steadily climbs from BMBNTi0 to BMBNTi8, highlighting the beneficial effect of a TiO 2 addition to the material's ability to attenuate radiation. This trend is inversely mirrored in HVL values, which decrease from 0.010 cm for BMBNTi0 to 7.646 cm for BMBNTi8, reflecting enhanced shielding efficiency over the entire studied photon energy range. The effective atomic number (Z eff) also showcases a dynamic range from 40.793 to 15.101, suggesting a complex relationship between TiO 2 content and photon interaction. Moreover, the study indicates a slight but consistent increase in the fast neutron removal cross-section (Σ R) from 0.104 cm−1 for BMBNTi0 to 0.106 cm−1 for BMBNTi8, pointing to improved neutron shielding with greater Ti and oxygen content in the glass. These insights highlight the potential of TiO 2 -enriched magnesium borate glasses as superior options for effective photon and neutron shielding, particularly in nuclear medicine, emphasizing their role in enhancing radiation safety measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glass gained much attention to be utilized in various applications, for this reason different kinds of glass compositions was the subject of investigation. In this work, we successfully fabricated a series of tellurite–germanate glasses with a composition of (70-x)TeO2–10GeO2–10ZnO–10Li2O–xBi2O3, where x = 0, 5, 10 and 15 (all in mol%). Ordinary melt-quenching was used to synthesize the mentioned glass series with 975 °C as a melting temperature for 30 min and 300 °C for annealing to release the internal stress. To study the structural properties of these glasses, X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to confirm the glassy structure of these glasses. Regarding that, XRD profiles were recorded in ranges between 10° and 80° for all samples. Moreover, FTIR was employed to study the functional groups of all elements, which were used in the composition with the range of 4000–400 cm−1. Optical absorption was used to investigate the cutoff wavelength and optical band gap. Optical absorption was measured at the range of 200–800 nm. The variation of the attenuation properties for the tested tellurite–germanate glasses has been investigated using WinXcom software for photon energy ranges between 0.015 and 15 MeV. The examined attenuation properties include linear and mass attenuation coefficients, half value layer and mean free path, and effective atomic number of the radiation shielding glass. The present results suggest the utilization of the new prepared glass samples in radiation shielding applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes an innovative utilization method of boron bearing blast furnace slag (B3FS) as a highly cost-effective shield for protection against neutron radiation hazards, thereby conserving natural resources and preventing environmental pollution. Characteristic of the shielding performance of the prepared composites against thermal neutrons were tested by an Am–Be neutron source combined with the Evaluated Nuclear Data File. To analyze shielding performance, the following parameters were employed: shielding percentage, macroscopic cross section, and partial macroscopic cross section. Shielding percentage of the prepared shielding composites ranged between 76% and 80.5%, which increased with the additional amount of B3FS and positively correlated with the density and the boron content of the prepared shielding composites. In addition, shielding ability of the prepared shielding composites proved to be superiour to some commercially available shields. This paper proposes a shielding mechanism against thermal neutrons in the prepared shielding composites. It was demonstrated that the thermal neutron radiation shielding effect was achieved by the absorption of Mg 2 B 2 O 5 and the elastic scattering of epoxy resin matrix. The maximum resistance temperature of prepared shielding composites is about 230 °C, and bending strength exceeds 14 MPa. [Display omitted] • An innovative utilization method of boron bearing blast furnace slag is proposed. • Macro cross section for thermal neutron of B3FS is higher than commercial shields. • Shielding ability of prepared composites is better than some commercial shields. • Thermal neutron shielding mechanism in multiphase materials is first proposed. • Bending strength of the prepared composites is higher than 14 MPa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]