Impact of varying Bi2O3 content on physical, mechanical, structural and gamma ray shielding properties of Bi2O3-B2O3-SiO2-Na2O glass system

The study evaluates varying Bi 2 O 3 content's impact on the Bi 2 O 3 -B 2 O 3 -SiO 2 -Na 2 O glass system, where by Bi 2 O 3 addition enhances the density (ρ) and molar volume (V m ). The elastic moduli decrease due to the increase in V m . XRD spectroscopy confirms the amorphous nature. FTIR and Raman spectroscopy indicate shifts in vibrational bands and heightened peak intensities associated with Bi 2 O 3 concentration. It signifies structural alterations owing to Bi-O bond formation and an increase in non-bridging oxygens (NBOs). The radiation shielding properties were investigated from 0.015 MeV to 15 MeV. The linear attenuation coefficient (LAC) at 0.015 MeV varied between 5.851 cm -1 (for the free Bi 2 O 3 glass) and 210.436 cm -1 for the glass with 15 mol% Bi 2 O 3 . The LAC showed Bi 2 O 3 incorporation to enhance the glasses' shielding ability. The half value layer (HVL) is affected by the Bi 2 O 3 content, where the HVL at 0.015 MeV reduces from 0.118 to 0.0034 cm due to the addition of 15 mol% Bi 2 O 3.