Influence of Bi2O3 concentration on barium-telluro-borate glasses: Physical, structural and radiation-shielding properties

In this study, a series of Bi2O3 reinforced bariumtelluroborate (TBX) glasses with the nominal composition 20TeO(2) + (50-x)B2O3 + 29.5BaO + xBi(2)O(3) + 0.5Er(2)O(3) (where x=0,5,10,15 and 20 in wt%) were manufactured using traditional melt-quenching method. The structural and compositional studies were performed by using XRD and FTIR spectra. In general, the glass matrix consists of the trigonal-planar and tetrahedral units of borates, tellurate and tellurite groups of tellurites, and the non-bridging oxygen (nBO). In addition to that, BiO3 and BiO6 groups are present in top-order glasses. The gamma-ray shielding (gamma-RS) ability was evaluated through the vital parameters like the mass-attenuation coefficient (MAC), mean free-path (MFP), half-value layer (HVL), and effective atomic-number (Z(eff)). TB20 glass is happened to be the best candidate by giving the highest value for MAC and the lowest MFP and HVL, owing to its large density, 6.922 g/cm(3). The fast neutron-removal cross-section (Sigma R) is assessed to investigate the neutron shielding capacity of TBX glasses. The.-rays shielding properties of TBX glasses were observed better than some ordinary shields such as barite-concrete and commercial shielding glasses developed by SCHOTT Company.