Gamma and neutron shielding properties of lead-borosilicate shielded glass; novel technique of solid waste recycling

In this study, a novel technique was developed to produce borosilicate glass samples with varying concentrations of PbO based on 90% of solid waste. The PbO was obtained through leaching-calcination methods from spent lead-acid batteries (LABs), while the glass matrix was composed of waste glass obtained from vehicles. The glass samples were produced using the formula (90 -x) R_10B2O3 -xPbO (with x = 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 mol%). This approach not only provides a sustainable method for waste recycling but also offers a potential alternative to traditional manufacturing processes of shielded glass. For all samples, UV-VIS absorption spectra were employed to get the energy band gaps (Eg) using Tauc's model, where Eg declines from 3.8 to 2.7 eV. The density was measured to examine shielding properties against gamma and neutron radiation. The density increased from 2.47 to 5.29 cm3/g by increasing the molar ratio of PbO from 0 to 50 mol%. The newly developed program Phy-X/PSD were used to calculate different parameters, half value layer (HVL), mass attenuation coefficient (MAC), effective atomic number (Zeff), fast neutron removal cross-section (sigma R) and mean free path (MFP). A home-made setup was created to test the MAC of the obtained glass samples using a gamma-ray source at 662 keV. The experimentally obtained results are in good agreement with Phy-X/PSD results at the same energy. These successes make the refurbished glass samples a strong contender when compared to other industrial concretes and shielding glasses.

Automated summary

A novel technique was developed to produce borosilicate glass samples with varying concentrations of PbO from 90% solid waste. The method involved obtaining PbO from spent lead-acid batteries and using waste glass from vehicles as the glass matrix. The resulting glass samples demonstrated potential as an alternative to traditional manufacturing processes and had strong shielding properties against gamma and neutron radiation.