Shielding parameters and optical stability of sodium alumino-borate glasses against gamma rays by iron oxide additives

The development of various industries and technologies necessitates a greater utilization of ionizing radiation, such as gamma rays. Herein, we investigate the shielding parameters and the stability of the optical parameters of sodium alumino-borate glasses against gamma rays by different iron oxide (Fe2O3) additives. We found that the Fe2O3 additives improved the shielding parameters. Moreover, the influence of various doses of γ rays (50, 100, and 150 kGy) on the optical characteristics of the performed glasses was studied. For example, the influence of gamma doses on the optical absorbance (A), optical band gap (Eg), Urbach energy (EU), refractive index (no), electronegativity (X), electron polarizability (αo), and nonlinear refractive index (n2). The optical absorbance of all glass samples increased, particularly in the visible range, with further irradiation. Furthermore, the reduced optical band gap and Urbach energy values grow as the gamma irradiation increases, which are attributed to the increased number of donor centres. Conversely, an investigation was conducted on the ability of the material to protect against radiation. We found that the Fe2O3 additives improved the shielding parameters. Furthermore, the half-value layer results of the glassy samples in question were compared to those of conventional radiation shielding materials and glasses. Therefore, the glass samples work better at blocking radiation than conventional window glass when employed for radiation shielding purposes. © 2024