Impact of tin oxide on the structural features and radiation shielding response of some ABO3 perovskites ceramics (A = Ca, Sr, Ba; B = Ti)

In this paper, series of perovskites ceramics (CaTiO3, BaTiO3-SrTiO3) added with 1.0 wt.% of tin oxide SnO2 were fabricated through the solid-state reaction process. The different specimens' structural and functional groups examinations were investigated by using X-ray and Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer (FTIR) techniques. The surface morphology and elemental composition were examined by scanning electron microscope (SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX). The XRD peaks of CaTiO3 and BaTiO3-SrTiO3 were indexed to the orthorhombic and cubic perovskites, respectively. The inclusion of tin oxide into the prepared ceramics caused shifting in the position of the peaks towards higher angles resulting in deformation in the crystal structure of the ceramics. FTIR results confirmed the formation of the desired compositions. The average grain size increased upon the addition of ton oxide into CaTiO3 and BaTiO3-SrTiO3 ceramics. In addition, the radiation shielding performances were examined. The results showed that the addition of SnO2 to the CaTiO3 and BaTiO3-SrTiO3 ceramics enhances the shielding properties of these ceramics. The linear attenuation coefficient (LAC) at a gamma photon energy of 0.015 MeV enhanced from 72.186 to 73.115 cm(-1) when the SnO2 increase from 0 to 1 wt.% for samples CTO and CTO@SnO2, respectively. In this regard, the LAC coefficient of BTO-STO is 168.813 cm(-1), and it is enhanced by adding 1 wt.% of SnO2 to be 171.004 cm(-1) for sample BTO-STO@SnO2. The results also illustrate a decrease in the ceramics half-value layer and the gamma-ray transmission factor with the addition of the SnO2 in the ceramic matrix. The results obtained validate the possibility of applying the manufactured ceramics for radiation protection purposes.

Automated summary

In this study, perovskite ceramics doped with tin oxide were fabricated and characterized for their structural and functional properties using X-ray, FTIR, and SEM techniques. The addition of tin oxide resulted in enhanced shielding properties and changes in crystal structure of the ceramics. These findings suggest the potential application of the manufactured ceramics for radiation protection purposes.