Experimental investigation on tuning radiation shielding competence in magnesium-germanium-boro-tellurite glasses modified with PbO

The increasing need for safe and more sustainable radiation shielding materials has motivated the development of glass-based replacements to traditional materials. In this study, a series of PbO-doped boro-tellurite glasses represented as (35-x) B 2 O 3 -20TeO 2 -10GeO 2 -35MgO-xPbO, where x=2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10 mol%, were synthesised via the melt-annealing method. The radiation attenuation properties of these glasses were thoroughly investigated using gamma-ray spectrometry with 137 Cs and 60 Co radioactive sources at gamma energies of 0.662, 1.173, and 1.332 MeV. Linear attenuation coefficient, mass attenuation coefficient, half value layer, tenth value layer, mean free path, and effective atomic number were determined experimentally and validated against theoretical models (NIST XCOM and Phy-X/PSD). The results show that the increasing PbO composition scientifically enhanced radiation shielding performance. Among all the glasses, Pb4 (PbO of 10 mol% doped) showed the highest attenuation efficiency, outperforming several existing glass matrices and even traditional materials like concrete. The findings confirm the potential of PbO-doped boro-tellurite glasses as effective and versatile materials for radiation shielding applications in many fields.