ZnO-PbO-B2O3 glasses as gamma-ray shielding materials

Values of the gamma-ray mass-attenuation coefficient, the photon mean free path (MFP), the effective atomic number and the effective electron density have been determined experimentally for xZnO.2xPbO.(1-3x)B2O3 (x = 0.1-0.26) glasses at photon energies 511, 662, 1173 and 1332 keV and compared with theoretical data. The specific volume of the glasses has been derived from density measurements and studied as a function of composition. It is pointed out that these glasses have potential applications in radiation shielding. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.