Effect of Bi2O3 on mechanical features and radiation shielding properties of boro-tellurite glass system

This paper focuses on the effect of Bi2O3 content (up to 80 mol%) on mechanical features and radiation shielding characteristics of boro-tellurite glasses within TeO2–B2O3–Bi2O3 system. The basic mechanical parameters such as oxygen molar volume, packing density, hardness, and elastic moduli were studied based on Makishima–Mackenzie's theory. The shielding studies of the TeO2–B2O3–Bi2O3 glasses included gamma, electron and neutron radiations. The newly developed Phy-X/PSD program and Geant4 simulation were used to calculate the shielding parameters such as mass attenuation coefficient (μ/ρ), tenth value layer (TVL), mean free path (MFP), stopping power (ψe)), removal cross section (RCS), CSDA range, effective atomic number (Zeff), and half value layer (HVL). The concentration of Bi2O3 content had a significant effect on the gamma shielding competence of the investigated glasses. Form the results of gamma shielding studies, the highest μ/ρ (99.845 cm2/g) occurred at 0.015 MeV for TBB80 and the lowest μ/ρ (0.039 m2/g) occurred at 4 MeV for TBB40. The maximum values of Zeff for gamma interaction occurred at 0.02 MeV and they were 77.26, 78.81, 79.94, 80.80, and 81.48 for TBB40, TBB50, TBB50, TBB60, TBB70, and TBB80, respectively. The gamma shielding features of the investigated glasses were compared with those of various ordinary concretes, and Pb-free, Pb-based, and commercial glasses. The Bi2O3 content had also a considerable influence on the electron shielding competence of the tested glasses. The maximum values of Zeff for electron interaction occurred at 14 MeV and they were 44.58, 47.72, 50.41, 52.75, and 53.73 for TBB40, TBB50, TBB50, TBB60, TBB70, and TBB80, respectively. The results revealed that the bismuth boro-tellurite glasses could be useful for the shielding against gamma, electron, and neutron radiations, wherein the Bi2O3 content can be balanced according to the type and energy of radiation.