Eco-optimized PbO2CaO-B2O3 glasses for chargeless radiation shielding: An integrated experimental and theoretical investigation on the role of BaO and Sm2O3 doping

Abstract

The pursuit of efficient, stable, lead-compatible, and transparent radiation-shielding materials is vital for chargeless radiation, such as gamma and neutron shielding applications. In this study, a new series of BaO (19–25 mol %) and Sm₂O₃ (1–4 mol %) doped 11PbO₂-xBaO-10CaO-(79-x-y)B₂O₃-ySm₂O₃ glasses were synthesized via the conventional melt-quenching technique. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the amorphous nature and ensured its structural uniformity of the samples. Density measurements showed a significant increase from 3.953 to 4.388 g/cm³ with increasing BaO and Sm₂O₃ content. The gamma radiation shielding performance was experimentally determined using a NaI(Tl) detector with gamma sources, including ¹³³Ba, ²²Na, ¹³⁷Cs, and ⁶⁰Co isotopes. Theoretical evaluations of radiation shielding parameters, including the mass attenuation coefficient, linear attenuation coefficient, half-value layer, tenth value layer, mean free path, and effective atomic number, were performed using the Phy-X/PSD database. At 356 keV, the LAC increased from 0.587 cm^-1 for the sample containing 1 mol % Sm₂O₃ to 0.650 cm^-1 for the sample containing 4 mol % Sm₂O₃. The neutron shielding effectiveness was assessed using the effective removal cross-section (Σ_R) of the material. The MFP at 356 keV decreased from 1.649 cm in the base glass (19BaO + 1Sm₂O₃) to 1.458 cm (25BaO + 4Sm₂O₃) in the optimized composition. The combined presence of BaO and Sm₂O₃ produced a synergistic effect, making these glasses promising candidates for advanced radiation-shielding applications.