(59.5–x) P2O5–30Na2O–10Al2O3–0.5CoO–xNd2O3 glassy system: an experimental investigation on structural and gamma-ray shielding properties

• Published in: Applied physics. A, Materials science & processing Materials science & processing, 2020-07, Vol.126 (7), Article 502
• Main Authors: Elsaman, Reda, Issa, Shams A. M., Tekin, H. O., Susoy, G., Showahy, A. A., Elokr, M. M., Erguzel, T. T., Saddeek, Yasser B.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied physics; Attenuation coefficients; Cesium 137; Cesium isotopes; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Condensed Matter Physics; Energy absorption; Gamma rays; Glass; Machines; Manufacturing; Materials science; Mathematical analysis; Nanotechnology; Nuclear radiation; Optical and Electronic Materials; Phosphorus pentoxide; Photons; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Point sources; Processes; Properties (attributes); Radiation shielding; Surfaces and Interfaces; Thin Films
• ISSN: 0947-8396; 1432-0630
• DOI: 10.1007/s00339-020-03697-x

In this study, five different glasses encoded ND1, ND2, ND3, ND4 and ND5 based on (59.5– x ) P 2 O 5 –30Na 2 O–10Al 2 O 3 –0.5CoO– x Nd 2 O 3 ( x  = 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 mol%) glass system were fabricated. Using two γ- ray energies emitted from point sources, 356 keV ( 133 Ba) and 662 keV ( 137 Cs), γ-ray attenuation coefficients were measured as a function of the Nd 2 O 3 concentration. The theoretical values of the mass attenuation coefficient were calculated using the XCOM program at 0.015–15-MeV photon energies. As it is underlined in the results section, the mass attenuation coefficient increases as the Nd 2 O 3 concentration increases. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was characterized for fabricated glasses. Moreover, different shielding parameters such as half-value layer (HVL), mean free path (MFP), effective atomic numbers ( Z eff ), basic gamma-ray attenuation properties such as exposure buildup factors (EBF) and energy absorption buildup factors (EABF) at different penetration depths were calculated. With increasing Nd 2 O 3 additive in glass samples, half-value layer (HVL), average free path (MFP), exposure and energy absorption buildup factor (EBF and EABF) values decrease. On the other hand, Z eff values increase with increasing Nd 2 O 3 additive in glass samples at the photon energy 0.015–15 MeV. The results highlighted that ND5 sample with highest value of Nd 2 O 3 (5 mol%) showed excellent nuclear radiation shielding properties.