Utilizing Ga2O3 incorporation to adjust the optical, mechanical, thermal, and simulated radiation shielding performance of B2O3-TeO2-BaO-Li2O glasses

Abstract

A novel glass system having the following chemical formula 35-x)B₂O₃+32TeO₂+18BaO+15Li₂O+xGa₂O₃ where x = 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2 mol% was fabricated using a melt-quenching method. The physical, thermal, optical, and mechanical properties of the synthesized glass samples were investigated in addition to their shielding efficiency against different radiations to reveal the possibility of utilizing the studied materials in technology-based applications. Raman spectrum showed that there is an evident structural evolution of the glass system through adding (Ga₂O₃) dopant. On the other hand, the density of the synthesized glass samples was measured to show that there is an evident increase in the value of density of the studied glass system, ranging from 3.5378 to 3.6748 g/cm³, accompanied with a decrease in the value of molar volume ranging between 30.3919 and 29.900 cm³/mol. Thermal study proved that (Ga₂O₃) doping enhances the glass transition temperature as well improves thermal stability of the glass. The studied glass shows an obvious increase in its ultraviolet absorbance capacity along with a red shift in the value of the cut-off wavelength and decreases in optical band gap value of indirect transitions from 3.219 to 3.141 eV and the values of the Urbach energy increased from 0.259 to 0.336 eV. Moreover, there is an evident increase in all elastic modulus values (Young’s modulus, bulk modulus, and shear modulus) with the rise in Ga₂O₃ content. The efficiency of the produced glass as a shielding material against radiation was evaluated by using Phy-X software. In this context, the program predicts the values of LAC, MAC, HVL, and MFP. Radiation shielding performance assessment reveals that increasing Ga₂O₃ enhances the radiation shielding efficacy and reduces the thickness needed for adequate gamma-ray shielding. Assessment of the radiation shielding characteristics indicates that augmenting the Ga₂O₃ concentration diminishes the necessary thickness for efficient gamma-ray shielding while concurrently enhancing radiation shielding efficacy.