Gamma attenuation parameters of some borate glasses

Abstract

In this study we have reported the borate-based glasses in the form of (75mol%) for gamma-ray and neutron shielding applications, and for this purpose mass attenuation coefficients (µ m ) of these glasses have been investigated using Geant4 code and XCOM program in the energy range between 1 keV and 10 MeV. A good agreement between the simulation results and computed values was observed. The obtained µ m values were then used to calculate the other related shielding parameters such as half value layer (HV L), mean free path (MFP) and effective atomic numbers (Z ef f ). Exposure buildup factors of the glasses were also evaluated by using the geometrical progression (G-P) method. Additionally, neutron effective removal cross-sections of each selected glass have been computed. The results indicate that the Bi 2 O 3 content in the glass sample affects the radiation shielding properties. It can be concluded that the glass coded as F offers superior gammaray shielding properties, while the glass coded as D offers better neutron shielding features among the other samples.Radiation shielding by using heavy metal oxide (HMO) glasses is a significative field of study [1,2]. Its interest has mushroomed dramatically in the wake of nuclear accidents such as Chernobyl disaster which caused deleterious effects for human being. The conventional materials such as lead-based materials and concretes are inexpensive, high durability and can be cast to any desired shape easily. Nevertheless, there are still limitations associated with their use because they have several disadvantages like being nontransparent shielding materials, cracks formation and water permeability [3,4]. Further, the toxicity and hazardous nature of lead (Pb) to environment and human health are serious concerns to replace lead by other