Effect of Bi2O3 on some optical and gamma-photon-shielding properties of new bismuth borate glasses

In this study, glasses with composition (75−y)B2O3−yBi2O3−12.5Na2O−12.5CaO: y = 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 mol% were fabricated by conventional method (melt quenching). The amorphous state of the glasses was tested by XRD measurements. Densities and molar volumes of the prepared samples were measured. The optical absorption spectra were registered in UV–Vis range of 190–1100 nm wavelength. The optical energy gaps ( $$E_{{{\text{ASF}}}}^{{{\text{Optical}}}}$$ ) for all samples were evaluated using the absorption spectrum fitting (ASF) method. Indeed, refractive index (n) and optical dielectric constant (eOptical) have been studied. Results reveal that the ( $$E_{{{\text{ASF}}}}^{{{\text{Optical}}}}$$ ) reduces, while (n) and (eOptical) increase with increasing Bi2O3 content. Photon-shielding parameters for the glasses were examined by computing the mass attenuation coefficients (µ/ρ) in the energy range 0.356–2.506 MeV with the help of WinXCOM program. It is found that the suggested glasses are promising materials for photon shielding with enhancement of Bi2O3 concentration.