Dual-purpose borate based glasses: optical features and Monte Carlo simulations of gamma radiation shielding

The study uses the melt quenching method for fabrication of a new series of borate based glasses according to the chemical formula of (9+x) PbO 2 +20 BaO+11 CaO+ (60-x-y-z) B 2 O 3 +y Eu 2 O 3 +z Pr 6 O 11 ; x = 0, 3, 6, and 9 mol% and y = z = 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1 mol%. The aforementioned borate-based glass series is being fabricated with the dual purpose of serving as radiation shielding and optical materials. The substitution of PbO 2 , Eu 2 O 3 , and Pr 6 O 11 for the B 2 O 3 enhances the density of fabricated glasses (4.023–4.680 g/cm 3 ) when the PbO 2 +Eu 2 O 3 +Pr 6 O 11 raised from concentrations of 9.5 mol% to 20 mol%. Increase in concentration of PbO 2 +Eu 2 O 3 +Pr 6 O 11 (9.5–20 mol.%) causes decrease in the energy band gap (direct transition) from 3.080 to 2.964 eV. The refractive index was enhanced (2.486–2.529) when the doping compounds were raised within the prepared glasses. The Monte Carlo simulation results over energy interval of 0.015–15 MeV showed that, increase in concentration of PbO 2 +Eu 2 O 3 +Pr 6 O 11 (9.5–20 mol%) enhances the LAC values from 6.899 to 9.690 cm −1 (at 0.08 MeV), 0.248–0.293 cm −1 (at 1 MeV), and 0.134–0.178 cm −1 (at 15 MeV).