The impact of bismuth doping on the mechanical, optical, and radiation-shielding properties of borosilicate glass systems

New glasses composed of 70B2O3 - 5SiO2 - 10Li2O - (5-x)PbO - 10ZnO - xBi2O3, with x = 0.0:5 mol%, were produced using the melt-quenching method. The density increased from 2.67 to 2.94 g/cm3 as 5 mol% of PbO was replaced with Bi2O3. The theoretical investigation and comparison with corresponding simulated findings generated from Geant4 simulation have been conducted for the attenuation characteristics of glasses coded from Bi-0.0 to Bi-5.0. As the quantity of Bi3+ ions in the glass's structure rises, the linear attenuation coefficient (LAC) values progressively rise for all applied energies. Half value layer (HVL) drops as Bi2O3 is substituted for PbO. The MFP values at 0.3 MeV were 2.667, 2.485, 2.326, 2.193, 2.090, and 2.005 cm for Bi-0.0, Bi-1.0, Bi-2.0, Bi-3.0, Bi-4.0, and Bi-5.0, respectively. Indirect optical gap (EOBG) decreased from 3.072 V to 2.919 eV and direct optical band gap (EOBG) varied from 3.359 eV to 3.170 eV as the amount of Bi3+ ions in the glass's structure increased. The Urbach energy value increases from 0.476 eV to 0.540 eV as the amount of Bi2O3 in the glass's lattice increases. Transmittance Coefficient (T), Molar Refraction (Rm), Molar Polarizability (αm), and Optical Refractive Index are all estimated parameters that rise with increasing the amount of Bi2O3 in the glass's lattice. As the amount of Bi3+ ions increase in the glass's lattice, the Metallization Criterion, Optical Electronegativity (χ*), and Nonlinear Refractive Index (n2) calculations show decreasing values. Mechanical moduli values grew steadily as PbO components were replaced with Bi2O3, reaching a glassy composite called Bi-3.0 before gradually declining once more. The glass system is recommended as a photon attenuation shielding material.