Comparison of radiation shielding and elastic properties of germinate tellurite glasses with the addition of Ga2O3

Abstract

The current research elucidates the nuclear shielding capacity of germinate tellurite glasses: 41.7GeO2–41.7TeO2–16.6Ga2O3, 37.5GeO2–62.5TeO2, 10.4GeO2–72.9TeO2–16.7Ga2O3 and 12.5GeO2–87.5TeO2. Gamma-ray photon, fast neutron and electron shielding parameters of the present glassy materials were evaluated and studied via the Geant4 Monte Carlo, Phy-X/PSD software, ESTAR and analytic computations. In addition, Makishima–Mackenzie’s theory was applied to assess the elastic properties of the studied tellurite glass system containing Ga2O3 and/or GeO2. The effective atomic number of the glasses varies from 19.14 to 44.08 for 41.7GeO2–41.7TeO2–16.6Ga2O3, 20.63–48.02 for 37.5GeO2–62.5TeO2, 21.15–48.15 for 10.4GeO2–72.9TeO2–16.7Ga2O3 and 22.42–50.29 for 12.5GeO2–87.5TeO2. The obtained fast neutron removal cross sections of the glasses were 0.0991, 0.0966, 0.1024 and 0.1021 cm−1, respectively, for 41.7GeO2–41.7TeO2–16.6Ga2O3, 37.5GeO2–62.5TeO2, 10.4GeO2–72.9TeO2–16.7Ga2O3 and 12.5GeO2–87.5TeO2. Also, an equilibrium is reached between total stopping power (TSP) due to radiation and collision for electrons at energy T = 1.0 MeV where the TSP was minimum in the investigated glasses. Computed Young’s modulus for 37.5GeO2–62.5TeO2 was the lowest with a value of 0.218 GPa while the other three glass samples have almost equal value of 0.226 GPa. The present glasses’ shielding ability outclassed some conventional shields, hence have potential for radiation safety/shielding purposes in nuclear facilities.

Keywords

• germinate tellurite glass
• radiation
• nuclear shielding
• monte carlo