Synthesis, physical, structural, mechanical, and nuclear radiation shielding properties in cerium dioxide reinforced lead-silicate glasses

Notably, cerium dioxide (CeO2)-containing lead silicate glasses have attracted considerable attention, which is attributed to their versatile properties and possible use in many domains of technology. This work investigates the effect of CeO2 doping on the structural, mechanical, and radiation shielding performance of 60SiO2-35Pb3O4-5ZnO glasses. Materials Glasses were prepared via the melt-quench approach and characterized with XRD, density and ultrasonic velocity measurements, and Monte Carlo simulations for radiation shielding evaluation. The results confirm that adding CeO2 to the glasses increases their density, elastic moduli, and microhardness, and, therefore, their mechanical strength and rigidity. The density of the glass samples grew from 5.91 g/cm³ for SPCZ0 to 6.463 g/cm³ for SPCZ4 with increasing CeO2 content. The VL increased from 4790 m/s for the undoped glass sample (SPCZ0) to 5290 m/s for the sample with the highest content of CeO2 (SPCZ4). The VT similarly increases from 2385 m/s for SPCZ0 to 2885 m/s for SPCZ4. Moreover, the results suppose that CeO2-doped glasses had higher attenuation coefficients against gamma-ray and neutron radiation in relation to undoped samples. These properties are of utmost importance for their deployment in components requiring high mechanical strength, durability, and efficient absorbing layers for radiation protection.