Recycling of borosilicate waste glasses through doping with bismuth (III) oxide (Bi₂O₃): Enhancing the structure and radiation shielding properties

The present study successfully illustrated the radiation shielding capacities of borosilicate waste glasses enriched with Bismuth(III) oxide (Bi2O3) and their improved physical characteristics. The glass samples, designated as BSG, BSG-10B, and BSG-20B, were carefully fabricated by incorporating 10 % and 20 % Bi2O3 into borosilicate waste glass. This led to enhanced density and hardness, as evidenced by Vickers hardness measurements of 468, 509, and 567 HV, and densities of 2.11, 2.46, and 2.83 g/cm³, respectively. The current study verified that Bi2O3 effectively improved the radiation shielding properties, with the BSG-20B sample exhibiting superior Linear Attenuation Coefficient (LAC) and reduced Half Value Layer (HVL), particularly at lower photon energies, due to bismuth's high atomic number., owing to the high atomic number of bismuth. The PHITS code's accuracy in estimating mass attenuation coefficients (μ/ρ) was tested, with deviations below 2 % compared to the XCOM database, providing trustworthy simulation results. BSG-20B demonstrated comparable, if not better, performance across all photon energy levels compared to radiation shielding glasses used in commercial applications. This emphasizes its potential as an efficient material for protecting against radiation and as a sustainable solution for managing trash by reusing borosilicate waste. Finally, Among the samples tested, BSG-20B exhibited the best radiation shielding performance, with superior Linear Attenuation Coefficient (LAC) and reduced Half Value Layer (HVL), particularly at lower photon energies, demonstrating its potential as an efficient alternative to traditional radiation shielding materials. © 2024 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l.