A multi-function glass shield for neutrons and gamma rays of boron- and bismuth-reinforced silicate glass

• Published in: Scientific reports 2024-10, Vol.14 (1), p.24472-16, Article 24472
• Main Authors: Din, Hadeer M. Nasr El, Saeed, Aly, Salem, Eman, Shazly, R. M. El, Wahab, Magda Abdel
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 639/766/25; 639/766/387; 639/766/400; And optical properties; Bismuth; Boron; Elastic properties; Gamma rays; Humanities and Social Sciences; Ions; Mechanical; multidisciplinary; Neutrons; Rigidity; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Shielding materials; Silicate glass; Silicon; Silicon dioxide; Structural; Thermal; Thermal stability; X-ray diffraction; γ Radiation
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-73977-6

A successful attempt to produce a multi-function glass shield for attenuating neutrons and gamma rays by reinforcing a silicate glass network with boron and bismuth has been accomplished. A composition of 20SiO 2 -80Na 2 O (BSiBi0) was proposed to be used as a host glass network and prepared using the melt/annealing techniques. The low concentration of SiO 2 in BSiBi0 was not sufficient to form a stable glass network. Then, the proposed BSiBi0 was modified with 10, 20, 30, and 40 mol% of each of B 2 O 3 and Bi 2 O 3 (BSiBi1, BSiBi2, BSiBi3, and BSiBi4) simultaneously. The structural effects of adding B 3+ and Bi 3+ were studied through X-ray diffraction, density, and FTIR, which all showed enhancement of glass forming ability, a former role of Bi 3+ ions, and crowded the glass network by BO 4 units. The derived structural parameters - molar volume, mean silicon – silicon separation, mean boron – boron separation, oxygen packing density, packing density, and number of bridging/non-bridging oxygen - were extensively discussed to explore the impact of B 3+ and Bi 3+ on the formed network. The richness of the proposed host glass network by B 3+ and Bi 3+ enhanced its thermal stability. The obtained elastic properties by ultrasonic measurements reflect the increase of the glass rigidity with increasing concentrations of B 3+ and Bi 3+ ions. The obtained glasses have high visible light transparency and almost complete UV absorption. The measured shielding parameters against two types of neutron energies (total slow and slow) and a wide range of gamma rays’ energies showed a significant improvement in the shielding efficiency of the considered glasses. The total slow neutrons, slow neutrons, and gamma rays’ attenuation abilities were improved by 22.9, 135.5, and 73.8 - 199.5%. High thermal stability, elasticity, visible light transparency, and neutrons and gamma rays’ attenuation performance features give the produced glasses, especially BSiBi4 glass, preference as shielding materials in nuclear fields.