Impact of ZnO on the physical, mechanical, optical, and gamma-ray shielding properties of B2O3–Bi2O3–Na2O–ZnO–CaO glasses
M.I. Sayyed, Ashok Kumar, Y. Maghrbi
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to investigate the optical and gamma-ray shielding properties of the B 2 O 3 –Bi 2 O 3 –Na 2 O–ZnO–CaO glasses. The density of the glasses increases from 3.463 to 3.705 g/cm³ due to the inclusion of ZnO, which leads to a more compact structure. The presence of ZnO also causes an increase in dopant concentration. Additionally, the configuration of oxygen atoms changes, resulting in a decrease in the oxygen packing density (OPD) and an increase in the oxygen molar volume (V o ). The rise in optical basicity suggests a higher degree of negative charge within the structure. Furthermore, the elastic moduli show a positive correlation with the ZnO content. The UV–Vis absorption coefficient (α) and extinction coefficient (k) exhibit a decrease as the wavelength increases. As the concentration of ZnO is raised up to 15 mol% in the samples, the band gap energy (E g ) values decrease. However, above 15 mol% of ZnO concentration, the energy band gap values are observed to increase. The half-value layer (HVL) values increase with energy, indicating that thicker shields are needed to block higher-energy gamma rays. The ZC4 sample exhibiting the greatest density and linear attenuation coefficient (LAC) possesses the lowest HVL values as a result of its elevated ZnO concentration. The analysis of the transmission factor (TF) and radiation protection efficiency (RPE) confirms that the ZC4 sample qualifies as a top-quality shielding material. • The density of the glasses increases from 3.463 to 3.705 g/cm³. • The inclusion of ZnO results in a more compact structure. • The Eg decreases as a result of increase the ZnO content. • The half value layer (HVL) values show a positive correlation with energy. • Thicker shields are required to block the high-energy gamma rays.