Effect of Sm2O3 Addition on Multifunctional Performance in Si-Zr-B-Based Glass Frits: Mechanical and Radiation Shielding Approach

This study focused on recycling of the waste Si-Zr-B-based glass frits from industrial processes and transformation of this frits to high value-added glass-ceramic materials suitable for radiation shielding applications. For this aim, the samples were fabricated by adding different amounts of Sm2O3 (%0, 10, 20) into the waste glass matrix. Microstructural properties were investigated by using scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS). Density and Vickers hardness measurements were performed to evaluate physical and mechanical properties. In addition, radiation shielding parameters such as mass attenuation coefficient (MAC), linear attenuation coefficient (LAC), half-value layer (HVL), and mean free path (MFP) were calculated by using the XCOM database with wide range of photon energy to determine the photon-matter interaction behavior. The hardness and the density values increased from 8.8 to 9.6 GPa and from 2.7 to 2.88 g/cm3, respectively. This results showed that densification and mechanical performance improved with increasing Sm2O3 content. On the other hand, the decrease in HVL and MFP and the increase in MAC and LAC values observed with the amount of Sm2O3 content revealed that the samples have superior radiation attenuation capacity. Overall, the findings showed that waste-derived glass ceramics with Sm2O3 addition improved mechanical strength, physical properties and radiation shielding efficiency of the samples. These materials were promising candidates for applications in medical radiation environments, nuclear facilities, and hazardous waste management systems.