Determination of gamma-ray shielding properties for silicate glasses containing Bi2O3, PbO, and BaO

The mass attenuation coefficients (mu(m)), effective atomic cross section (sigma(a)), effective atomic number (Z(eff)) and effective electron density (N-eff) of silicate glasses containing different concentrations of Bi2O3, PbO, and BaO (30-70% by weight) were obtained using MCNP-4C code, XCOM and XMuDat programs, in the energy range of 10 keV-10 MeV. The interpolation method was employed to extract Z(eff) and N-eff. The Auto-Z(eff) software was used to determine the Z(eff) as well. The MCNP-4C Code, XCOM and XMuDat programs and Auto-Z(eff) results were in good agreement. It was found that the mu(m) and sigma(a) values decrease with photon energy. Also the results indicate that sigma(a) and Z(eff) of glasses improve by increasing their Bi2O3, PbO and BaO contents, while increasing these contents to the same fraction has no significant effect on mu(m) in the energy range of 0.3-5 MeV, where the Compton Effect takes over as dominant process and N-eff do not follow certain rule. Above 0.1 MeV, lead oxide silicate glass showed the highest values of Z(eff) and sigma(a). Wherever possible, the simulated and calculated values were compared with experimental data.