The Influence of Neodymium Oxide on the Physical, Dielectric, and Radiation-Shielding Properties of Glasses Composed of Bismuth Zinc Borosilicate

Abstract

The melt-quenching approach was used in this work to create several batches of bismuth zinc borosilicate glasses enriched with different amounts of neodymium (Nd₂O₃) oxides. Substituting B₂O₃ with Nd₂O₃ y increases the density of the resulting glass sample. Upon increasing the concentration of Nd₂O₃ from 0 to 1.2 mol%, the glass molar volume decreases. The structure of the glasses under study has been examined using a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer. Incorporating Nd-ions into the glass’s network increases the number of non-bridging oxygen (NBO) ions in its internal molecular structure. A broad variety of frequencies was used to study the dielectric properties. The dielectric constant level (εʹ) increases steadily as the amount of Nd₂O₃ increases. Electrical conductivity (σ_ac) increases with applied frequency. The addition of Nd₂O₃ causes σ_ac and εʹ to rise due to the breakdown of the glass network’s structure and the rise in (NBO). The energy absorption (EABF) and exposure building factor (EBF) for the glasses under investigation have been determined at deep penetration levels of 0.5–40 mfp in photon energy extends between 0.015 and 10 MeV. Fast neutron removal sectionals (FNRCS) utilizing the G-P fitting method and a glasses’ equivalent atomic numbers Zeq, EBF, and EABF were computed using Phy-X/PSD software. The reported EBF and EABF have been displayed to rely on penetration depths, photon energy, and the glass sample’s Nd₂O₃ mol% content. Compared to other samples, Nd-1.2 glass has been found to offer better gamma-ray shielding. The results of this study may also be useful for radiation shielding applications in nuclear engineering, industry, and health.