A comprehensive analysis of the effect of BaO incorporation on Gamma-Ray attenuation characteristics in SiO₂-B₂O₃-SrO-ZrO₂ glass systems

Abstract This work presents an analysis of the effect of BaO incorporation on the gamma-ray attenuation properties of systematically evaluated SiO₂-B₂O₃-SrO-ZrO₂ glass matrices. Radiation shielding parameters determined using XCOM and EGS4 calculation codes were compared. There was an increase in glass density from 5.84 g/cm 3 to 6.32 g/cm 3 when the BaO content rose from roughly 10% to 40%. Using sophisticated WinXCom and EGS-4 calculations, the mass attenuation values (µ/ρ) of BaO doped SiO₂-B₂O₃-SrO-ZrO₂ glass systems (abbreviated BaSiBSZ) were found. This study systematically and thoroughly evaluated the effect of BaO integration on the radiation shielding capabilities of the glass system over a wide range of gamma-ray photon energies, specifically between 59.5 keV and 1332 keV. Initially, HVL (half-value layer) and MFP (mean free path) values were derived from the calculated mass attenuation coefficients. The evaluation of several crucial shielding parameters, including RPE, Z eff , ΣR, and $$k_\gamma$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msub> <mml:mi>k</mml:mi> <mml:mi>γ</mml:mi> </mml:msub> </mml:math> , came next. The steady reduction of SrO oxide concentration and substitution of BaO in BaSiSBZ glass systems resulted in notable modifications in radiation protection properties. The BaSiBSZ glass systems showed a similar decrease in both HVL and MFP at a constant energy level as the BaO doping concentration was progressively raised. Concurrently, a notable enhancement was noted in RPE, Z eff , Σ R , and $$k_\gamma$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msub> <mml:mi>k</mml:mi> <mml:mi>γ</mml:mi> </mml:msub> </mml:math> coefficients. The results demonstrate that higher BaO concentrations greatly enhance the material's radiation-shielding capabilities, enhancing both photon and neutron attenuation and bolstering the overall performance of the glass system.