Enhancement of gamma and X-ray shielding behaviors in ZnO-B2O3 glasses via La2O3 addition: Experimental and theoretical investigations

Abstract

Radiation shielding materials are crucial for reducing radiation exposure. Traditional materials such as lead, and concrete pose challenges related to toxicity and lack of transparency. This study aimed to assess the effects of lanthanum oxide (La2O3) addition on physical, optical, and radiation shielding properties of ZnO–B2O3 glass systems. Glass samples of (80-x)B2O3–20ZnO-xLa2O3 (x = 5–20 mol%) were prepared using the melt-quenching technique and characterized for density, molar volume, refractive index, transmittance and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Gamma-ray shielding performance was evaluated using the Compton scattering method with a Cs-137 source and NaI(Tl) detector, alongside theoretical data from WinXCOM. X-ray shielding capabilities were determined through experimental transmission measurements and Monte Carlo simulations (PHITS) across effective energies ranging from 30.40 to 44.21 keV. Increasing La2O3 content (5–20 mol%) resulted in higher density (2.89–3.63 g/cm3), slightly increased molar volume (29.37–33.98 cm3/mol), and higher refractive index (1.58–1.65). All La2O3-added glasses exhibited ∼75 % transmittance in the visible region. XRD analysis indicated amorphous characteristics for all samples. For gamma rays, both experimental and theoretical results agreed well, showing improved shielding with higher La2O3 levels. For lowest gamma-ray energy, the 20 mol% sample had the highest mass attenuation coefficient (μm) of 0.21 cm2/g, lowest half value layer (HVL) of 0.89 cm, and shortest mean free path (MFP) of 1.29 cm. For X-rays, PHITS simulations and experiments also aligned, with μm up to 4.21 cm2/g (at 30.40 keV), HVL of 0.05 cm, and MFP of 0.07 cm. These findings suggest that La2O3 addition enhances both gamma and X-ray shielding effectiveness. In conclusion, the study highlights the potential of La2O3-added ZnO–B2O3 glass as an alternative shielding material, with future research aimed at further improving its shielding performance.