Innovative Bioactive Zirconia Glass Ceramics: Combining Radiation Protection and Biocompatibility

Abstract: This study examines zirconia-doped transparent glass ceramics (TGCs) based on the SiO₂–Na₂O–CaO–P₂O₅ system as potential radiation shielding materials, expanding on the initial synthesis and characterization by Mishra et al. (2024). The research specifically investigates the effects of incrementally substituting calcium oxide (CaO) with zirconium dioxide (ZrO₂) in concentrations from 0 to 6 mol%. Our work builds upon prior research by evaluating how ZrO₂ doping influences crucial radiation attenuation parameters, particularly density and structural compactness. The mass attenuation coefficients of these zirconia-doped TGCs were determined by utilizing Phy-X/PSD software and the PHITS 3.22 Monte Carlo simulation code across a photon energy range of 0.015 MeV to 15 MeV. A strong alignment was detected between the simulated results and theoretical predictions. Critical shielding parameters—including the half-value layer (HVL), tenth-value layer (TVL), linear attenuation coefficient (LAC), effective atomic number (Zeff), mean free path (MFP), and electron density (Neff)—were consequently evaluated via Phy-X/PSD software, relying on the calculated mass attenuation coefficients. The findings demonstrated that the MAC and LAC, Zeff, and Neff presented a decline in correlation with a rise in photon energy, while MFP, HVL and TVL have increased alongside the rise in photon energy. The findings demonstrate a direct relationship between increased ZrO₂ concentration and enhanced material density, reduced molar volume, and improved structural compactness, all of which contribute to better radiation shielding capabilities. Zirconia (ZrO₂)-doped transparent glass ceramics (TGCs) exhibit improved gamma-ray shielding performance, with the BG4-labeled glass ceramic displaying the highest shielding efficiency among the samples tested.