Novel hafnium oxide doped G-T-B Glass: Structural, physical, mechanical, optical, and radiation shielding investigation

Abstract

Three glasses were fabricated using a common melting and annealing process. Hafnium oxide-doped tellurite germanate borate glasses have been investigated for radiation shielding. A series of three glasses with the formula of (35-x) B2O3-20TeO2-10GeO2-35MgO-xHfO2 (x = 1.25, 2.5, and 3.75 mol%). X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern investigated the glassy phase of the samples. The Makishima-Mackenzie model was employed to evaluate the mechanical features of synthetic glasses. The dissociation energy (Gt) and packing density (Vt) are determined using the related formulas. The optical features of the manufactured glasses were determined using a number of formulas and the UV absorption edge. The energy band gap (Eg) was found using the Mott and Davis relation. The refractive index and Urbach energy (EU) were computed using the related relationships. Many optical features, like metallization (M), transmission (T), reflection loss (R), optical basicity (Λ), optical polarizability (α0), and optical electronegativity (χ), were computed and reported in this work. Monte Carlo simulation was employed to investigate the gamma-ray shielding parameters over an energy interval that extends from 0.015 MeV to 10 MeV. The increase in HfO2 content within the concentration rage of 1.25–3.75 mol% increases the linear attenuation coefficient of the prepared glasses across the ranges of 107.510–134.277 cm−1 (at 0.015 MeV) 1.282–1.593 cm−1 (at 0.15 MeV), and 0.183–0.191 cm−1 (at 1.5 MeV). The increase in HfO2 concentrations is also accompanied by a decrease in the half-value thickness, thickness equivalent lead, and the transmission factor for the synthesized glass samples.

Keywords

• Hafnium Oxide
• Germanate glass
• Optical properties
• Radiation shielding parameters