Enhanced gamma shielding properties of borosilicate glasses with Gd2O3 addition: A theoretical study using Phy-X/PSD and XCOM programs
Ali Alomari, Saeed M. Al-Qahtani
Abstract
In this theoretical study, the role of Gd 2 O 3 on the gamma-ray shielding features of 40SiO 2 –40B 2 O 3 –10V 2 O 5 −(10−x)Fe 2 O 3 − x Gd 2 O 3 glass system was investigated. The mass attenuation coefficient (MAC) was calculated using Phy-X/PSD software and XCOM program, covering an energy range from 15 keV to 15 MeV. Both approaches yielded similar results, thus confirming the accuracy of the obtained results. Further, the shielding effectiveness of the glass samples was estimated by calculating half and tenth value layers, mean free path, effective atomic and electron numbers (Z eff, N eff ), buildup factors, as well as transmission factors. The radiation shielding properties demonstrated remarkable enhancement in the investigated samples as the Gd 2 O 3 concentration in mol% increased, with an order of Gd-6 > Gd-4 > Gd-2 observed at all photon energies. Z eff showed fluctuations across different Gd 2 O 3 concentrations: 2 mol% (9.92–30.15), 4 mol% (10.33–38.76), and 6 mol% (10.73–44.15). These findings highlight the substantial potential of the investigated glasses to serve as effective radiation shielding materials.