Structural investigation and measurement of the shielding effect of borosilicate glass containing PbO, SrO, and BaO against gamma irradiation

In this study, alternative transparent amorphous borosilicate glass systems incorporating metal oxides comprising PbO, BaO, and SrO at different concentrations were tested as gamma ray shielding materials. The mass attenuation coefficients (μm) and other shielding parameters were determined experimentally for the prepared samples at a photon energy of 662 keV (137Cs source). X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed the amorphous nature of the prepared glass samples. The morphological structures of the glasses were characterized by scanning electron microscopy. Ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy was performed to determine the optical properties. The structural changes induced by the addition of metal oxides (PbO, SrO, and BaO) to the borosilicate glass were examined based on density measurements and Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy. Finally, the results obtained for the prepared samples were compared in terms of the half value layer and density for some glass matrices used in industry comprising RD-30 and LX-57B, where the aim was to determine the effectiveness of the glass matrices at protecting against gamma radiations. The results showed that the shielding efficiencies of the borosilicate-based glasses containing high concentrations of BaO, PbO, and SrO were better than those of the glass matrices used in industry at present.