Synthesis, optical and radiation shielding capacity of the Sm2O3 doped borate glasses

A new glass system with a chemical formula (60-x) B2O3 +20Bi(2)O(3) +20Li(2)O+ xSm(2)O(3) : x = 0, 1.25, 2.5, 3.75 and 5 wt% was synthesized using the solid-state conventional approach. The density of the newly fabricated glasses was determined using the Archimedes method. The glasses' structure was studied utilizing the X-ray diffraction spectroscopy. Moreover, some of the most effective optical features such as the refractive index (n), energy gap (E-g), and Urbach energy (E-u) were determined based on the absorbance obtained from the UV-visible spectrum. Furthermore, the radiation shielding capacity of the newly fabricated samples was assessed utilizing the Monte Carlo Modeling (MCNP 5) code and Phy-X/PSD software. The calculated mass attenuation coefficient (MAC) values at 0.015 MeV were observed to increase from 21.893 to 25.570 cm(2) g(-1) for glasses BBLS1 and BBLS5 respectively. Simulations demonstrated that the MAC of the fabricated glasses enhanced with the insertion of the Sm2O3 contents. Besides, the buildup factors (EBF and EABD) were calculated using the program Phy-X/PSD. The removal cross-section Sigma(R) for the fast neutrons was theoretically calculated. The calculated results showed the Sigma(R) varied in the range between 0.170 and 0.241 cm(-1) for glasses BBLS1 and BBLS5 respectively. The recorded results depict that the insertion of Sm2O3 enhances the optical, gamma-ray, and neutron shielding capacities.

Automated summary

A new glass system with varying Sm2O3 content was synthesized using a solid-state conventional approach. The density, structure, optical properties, and radiation shielding capacity of the glasses were studied, showing that the insertion of Sm2O3 enhanced their shielding capabilities.