Analysis of attenuation coefficients of B2O3-Bi2O3-BaO-PbO2-Eu2O3 glass system using gamma sources: experimental study

Abstract

Abstract The purpose of this work is to investigate the gamma radiation shielding capabilities of glass samples composed of B 2 O 3 -Bi 2 O 3 -BaO-PbO 2 -Eu 2 O 3 . For determining the radiation shielding properties, theoretical calculations were performed with the assistance of specialised software (Phy-X/PSD). The gamma-ray energy that were released by certain radiation sources ( 137 Cs and 60 Co) were captured by a semiconductor detector system during the experimental measurements that were carried out. These energies were measured at 0.662, 1.173, and 1.332 MeV. A narrow beam geometry was created with the use of a collimator to improve the precision of the results. The results of the experimental linear attenuation coefficient (G LAC ) enabled the determination of half and tenth layer thickness values (G HVL and G TVL ), as well as the mean free path (G MFP ). These data indicate a rise in G LAC values with an increasing PbO 2 ratio in glasses; nevertheless, they demonstrate a reduction with growing photon energy. The measured G LAC values ranged from 0.413 to 0.480 cm − 1 at 662 keV and 0.246 to 0.303 cm − 1 at 1333 keV, and increased with PbO 2 content, with BiEu4 showing the highest attenuation efficiency due to its higher density (5.03 g.cm − 3 ). In contrast, G MFP , G HVL , G TVL , and d Pb values rise with rising energy levels, whereas they decrease with elevated PbO 2 ratios in the produced glasses. The comparison of gamma radiation shielding characteristics, both experimental and theoretical, reveals a consistent connection, confirming their trustworthiness and alignment.

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