Multi-property assessment of borate glasses incorporating Dy2O3, Er2O3, and PbO2: mechanical, optical, and radiation shielding aspects

This research focused on preparing glasses with the general formula: xPbO₂-19BaO-11CaO-(70-x-y-z) B₂O₃-yDy₂O₃-zEr₂O₃, (x = 10, 13, 16, and 19 mol%, y and z = 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1 mol%) and investigated their optical, mechanical, and radiation shielding characteristics. The UV-Viv absorption spectra were used to determine the band gap and optical properties, while the mechanical features were determined using the Makishima and Mackenzie models. The band gap values displayed a progressive decrease with the addition of PbO₂, Dy₂O₃, and Er₂O₃, and their values were 3.048, 3.008, 2.968, and 2.921 eV for DyEr0.25, DyEr0.5, DyEr0.75, and DyEr1. The mechanical properties also showed a reduction. For example, the recorded Young's modulus (E) values were 88.957, 85.157, 83.472, and 82.886 GPa for DyEr0.25, DyEr0.5, DyEr0.75, and DyEr1 samples. The mass attenuation coefficient (MAC) and related radiation shielding parameters for the glasses were evaluated using Phy-X software in the energy range of 0.122–0.964 MeV, corresponding to the energies emitted from the Eu-152 source. The MAC started with the highest values of 1.129–1.541 cm²/g at 0.122 MeV and decreased as the energy increased, indicating high protection performance for these glasses at 0.122 MeV. The linear attenuation coefficient (LAC) showed a positive correlation with density. The effective atomic number (Z_eff) also increased with the addition of PbO₂, Dy₂O₃, and Er₂O₃ to the glasses. At 0.122 MeV, Z_eff increased by 18.7 % when the PbO₂ content was raised from 10 to 19 mol%, and Dy₂O₃ and Er₂O₃ increased from 0.25 to 1 mol%.