Synthesis, structure, mechanical and radiation shielding features of 50SiO2-(48+X) Na2B4O7-(2-X) MnO2 glasses

A novel glass system with the composition 50SiO(2)-(48 + X) Na2B4O7-(2 - X) MnO2 (0 <= X <= 2 mol%) was synthesized using the classical melting method. The obtained FT-IR spectroscopy of the fabricated samples refers to the transformation of the structural unit BO3 into BO4. Ultrasonic velocities and elastic moduli were found to increase with the increase in the ratio of Na2B4O7 in the fabricated samples. MCNP-5 code was applied to determine the gamma-ray shielding characteristics. The results demonstrate that the glasses without MnO2 content have the best gamma-ray shielding capacity. The linear attenuation coefficient (LAC) varied in the range between 0.055 and 8.873 cm(-1) for gamma photons between 0.015 and 15 meV. Moreover, the fast neutron removal cross section was calculated theoretically. The mass stopping power and the projected range were calculated using the Stopping and Range of Ions in Matter program (SRIM) for charged protons and alpha particles.

Automated summary

A novel glass system was synthesized using the classical melting method, with structural unit transformation and excellent gamma-ray shielding capacity. Various methods, including MCNP-5 code, were applied to study the properties of the fabricated samples.