Effect of melting time and temperature on radiation shielding and mechanical parameters of barium borate glass

This research investigates the effects of melting time and temperature on the physical, mechanical, and radiation shielding properties of CeO2-containing B2O3-BaO glass systems. We theoretically evaluated the radiation shielding capabilities by calculating the half-value layer, fast neutron removal cross-section, and linear attenuation coefficients of the glass structures. The mechanical properties of the borate glasses were also assessed, revealing that the shear modulus varied from 51.24 to 55.20 GPa, the bulk modulus from 86.87 to 97.15 GPa, the Young's modulus from 124.29 to 131.93 GPa, and the longitudinal modulus from 150.54 to 170.76 GPa. Notably, the C3 sample exhibited the highest density, mechanical strength, and radiation resistance, along with the greatest optical density and the lowest minimum observable variation value. According to the data presented, the C3 sample also demonstrated the highest linear attenuation coefficient among all tested samples. Overall, our findings suggest that the radiation shielding capabilities of these specific glasses surpass those of conventional materials generally used for radiation protection, indicating their potential as effective shielding materials.