Development of BaO-containing radiation-shielding glass using natural dolomite as a raw-material component

This study investigates the incorporation of dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) as a natural substitute for synthetic CaO in the fabrication of radiation shielding glass (RSG). Dolomite samples from Kanchanaburi, Thailand, were characterized using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) to determine their chemical composition, revealing CaO (76.59-79.84 wt%) and MgO (19.13-21.54 wt%) as the primary components. These dolomites were used to synthesize borosilicate-based host glasses, where density remained stable (∼2.5 g/cm³), ensuring structural integrity. Optical transmittance measurements showed an average 80% transparency in the visible range. To enhance radiation attenuation, BaO was incorporated into the glass matrix at varying concentrations (5-35 mol%). Increasing BaO content increased the density of the glass samples, which contributed to improved radiation attenuation performance. The radiation-shielding properties, predicted using WinXCom over a wide photon energy range and experimentally evaluated at 0.662 MeV, improved with increasing BaO content. The HVL, Pb-equivalent thickness, and EABF results further supported the enhanced attenuation performance of the developed glasses, indicating that higher BaO content reduced the contribution of scattered photons to absorbed energy buildup in the intermediate-energy region. In addition, preliminary glass-forming tests of the B4 composition demonstrated the feasibility of preparing a larger glass sheet under similar melting and annealing conditions, although further optimization is still required. These findings suggest that natural dolomite can serve as a useful raw-material component for developing BaO-containing radiation-shielding glass with balanced optical transparency, density, and attenuation performance.