Gamma Irradiation Effects on Physical, Optical, Structural and Radiation Shielding Properties of Tellurite based Glasses

Tellurite glasses have been researched for their radiation shielding properties as a potential alternative to lead and lead silica glass, which pose toxicity concerns. The effects of radiation on tellurite glasses are assessed using both physical irradiation and simulation with the Phy-X/PSD software. Glasses with the composition (70-x-y)TeO2–20ZnO–9Na2O–1Er2O3–(x)TiO2–(y)Al2O3, were fabricated using the melt-quench method. These glasses were then irradiated with gamma radiation at different doses. Characterization techniques, including XRD and UV-VIS spectroscopy, along with density measurements, were applied to the glasses both before and after irradiation. The XRD results confirmed that the glass samples were amorphous. UV-VIS spectroscopy showed that transmittance decreased as the radiation dose increased. The Phy-X/PSD simulation program was used to model the radiation properties of the glasses based on their dosage and composition. The simulation results indicated that the half-value layer (HVL) and mean free path (MFP) increased post-irradiation and then remained constant. These findings suggest that tellurite glasses, with their enhanced radiation shielding properties, could be a viable, safer alternative to lead-based glasses for various applications.