Radiation shielding properties of gold nanoparticle-dispersed bismuth borate glasses using Phy-X/PSD software

Abstract With the increasing use of radioactive materials in various sectors, effective radiation shielding has become a critical concern. The present study explores the potential of bismuth borate glasses doped with gold nanoparticles for gamma-ray shielding applications. Glass samples with a base composition of 30Bi 2 O 3 :70B 2 O 3 , containing varying concentrations of 10 nm gold nanoparticles, were synthesized using the melt quenching technique. The physical and morphological properties of the samples were characterized, confirming the presence of uniformly dispersed gold nanoparticles of size (4 nm) smaller than the size of precursor nanoparticles. Shielding parameters, including mass attenuation coefficient (MAC), half value layer (HVL), ten value layer (TVL), mean free path (MFP), and effective atomic number (Z eff ), were analyzed using the Phy-X/PSD program. Results showed that the obtained highest MAC value is 155.864 cm 2 /g which is superior to other reported materials. The HVL and TVL values increased with the increase in energy range, indicating effective gamma-ray shielding potential. These findings suggest that optimizing the dispersion and concentration of gold nanoparticles in bismuth borate glasses could enhance their performance as radiation shielding materials, making them promising candidates for various applications.