Development and Experimental Evaluation of WO 3 -Doped Boro-Tellurite Glasses as Transparent Lead-Free X-ray Shielding Materials

The development of environmentally friendly radiation shielding materials has gained considerable attention as an alternative to toxic lead-based shields used in medical and industrial applications. In the present study, a series of WO 3 -doped boro-tellurite glasses with the composition (55−x) TeO 2 -20B 2 O 3 -15ZnO-10Na 2 CO 3 -xWO 3 (where x = 5, 10, 15, and 20 mol%) were successfully synthesized using the conventional melt-quenching technique. The X-ray shielding performance of the prepared glass samples (TBZNW1-TBZNW4) was experimentally evaluated using an Ultisys 52 diagnostic X-ray system operated over the tube voltage range of 50-140 kVp. The shielding characteristics were assessed in terms of the linear attenuation coefficient (LAC), mass attenuation coefficient (MAC), half-value layer (HVL), tenth-value layer (TVL), mean free path (MFP), radiation attenuation efficiency (Att%), and lead equivalent thickness (LET). The results revealed that increasing the WO 3 concentration significantly enhanced the attenuation capability of the glass system owing to the increase in density and effective atomic number. The TBZNW4 glass, containing 20 mol% WO 3 , exhibited the highest LAC and MAC values together with the lowest HVL, TVL, and MFP, indicating superior X-ray shielding performance. Moreover, the attenuation efficiency increased with WO 3 content, while the lead equivalent thickness demonstrated the potential of the developed glasses to replace conventional lead-based shielding in diagnostic energy ranges. Comparison with previously reported shielding materials further confirmed the improved attenuation performance of the present glass system. These findings demonstrate that WO 3 -doped boro-tellurite glasses are promising, environmentally benign candidates for transparent radiation shielding applications in medical diagnostic facilities, laboratories, and other radiation environments.