Radiation shielding characterizations and investigation of TeO2–WO3–Bi2O3 and TeO2–WO3–PbO glasses

Abstract

This study aims to study the radiation shielding features of TeO2–WO3–RO systems (where RO =PbO and Bi2O3). The glasses were theoretically evaluated by using the simulation code Phy–X/PSD. Four TeO2–WO3–Bi2O3 glasses and three TeO2–WO3–PbO glasses were tested in this study. The linear attenuation coefficient (LAC), mass attenuation coefficient (MAC), effective atomic number (Zeff), half value layer (HVL), tenth value layer (TVL), and mean free path (MFP) of the glasses were calculated and analyzed. WTeBi3 and WTeBi4 have the greatest LAC and MAC values at all energies, while WTePb1 had the least LAC and MAC values. At 0.347 MeV, the MAC of the glasses is equal to 0.115 0.117, and 0.107 cm2/g for WTeBi3, WTeBi4, and WTePb1, respectively. The Zeff of the glasses decreased and increased based on the photon interaction phenomena present in low, medium, and high energy ranges. WTeBi2 has the greatest HVL, equal to 2.070 cm and 2.594 cm at 1.333 and 2.506 MeV, respectively, while WTeBi3 has the least, 1.943 cm and 2.532 cm for the same energies, respectively. The TVL values followed the order of WTePb1 < WTePb2 < WTeBi2 < WTePb3 < WTeBi1 < WTeBi3 < WTeBi4 at both the tested energies. The greatest MFPs were observed at the greatest selected energy, 2.506 MeV. The TeO2–WO3–Bi2O3 glasses and TeO2–WO3–PbO glasses were compared against each other and with some other radiation glasses to determine the most effective attenuator.