Improvement of mechanical properties and radiation shielding performance of AlBiBO3 glasses using yttria: An experimental investigation

Abstract Nuclear radiation shielding and rigidity parameters of the newly developed Al(0.1-x)B0.6Bi1.8O3Y2x glasses were studied to elucidate their potential as gamma radiation shielding material. In this study, bismuth borate glass systems with different amount of yttria additive were synthesized using melt-quenching technique. The material properties such as radiation shielding performance, structural and mechanical behaviors have changed with yttria additive into Bi-borate glasses. To obtain these changes, x-ray diffraction, scintillation gamma-ray spectrometer, and pulse-echo measurements have performed. The results showed that yttria additive has increased the density of glasses as well as radiation shielding performance. Also, the rigidity parameters were investigated not only experimentally but also theoretically. The results showed that G5 sample is superior nuclear radiation shielding sample with lowest HVL and MFP values. Moreover, yttria additive has increased the bridging oxygen atoms, enhances the coordination number as well as the cross-link density. The enhancement of all of these parameters indicates that these glasses are an excellent candidate to be used as a radiation shielding material. It can be concluded that yttria additive for aforementioned glass system has an important impact in mechanical and nuclear shielding properties yet further investigations should be considered for different types of applications.