Bismuth Doped Soda Lime Silica Borate (SLS–B2O3–Bi2O3) Glasses forGamma Radiation Shielding Application

Umar Saad Aliyu; Ibrahim Gana Geidam; Abdulkarim Muhammad Hamza; Sani Muhammad; Mustapha Adejo Muhammad; Hassan Shaibatu Ibrahim; Mustapha Bukar Liberty

doi:10.62050/ljsir2026.v4n2.911

Authors

Umar Saad Aliyu
usaltilde@yahoo.com

Department of Physics, Faculty of Physical Sciences, Federal University of Lafia

Muhammadu Buhari TETFund Center of Excellence, Federal University of Lafia, Nasarawa State, Nigeria
Ibrahim Gana Geidam
Department of Physics, Yobe State University Damaturu, Nigeria
Abdulkarim Muhammad Hamza
Department of Physics, Federal University of Lafia, Nasarawa State, Nigeria
Sani Muhammad
Department of Physics, Federal University of Lafia, Nasarawa State, Nigeria
Mustapha Adejo Muhammad
Department of Physics, Federal University of Lafia, Nasarawa State, Nigeria
Hassan Shaibatu Ibrahim
National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure, Idu, Abuja, Nigeria
Mustapha Bukar Liberty
Department of Physics, Kashim Ibrahim University, Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria

Keywords:

Borate Glasses , Soda Lime Silicate (SLS) Glasses , Radiation Shielding Glasses

Abstract

In this research, local content of glass waste, pure powdered boron oxide and bismuth oxide as starting materials were utilized for fabrication of glasses. These glasses will serve as safer substitutes to lead blocks/lead glasses and concretes in radiation shielding in industries, research institutes and medical diagnostic centers. The main objective of this work is to study the physical, structural and radiation shielding properties of the glasses. For the glass fabrication, a conventional melt-quenching technique and chemical compositional formula 50SLS-50B₂O₃- (100-x) Bi₂O₃, where x = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 wt% were utilized. Various measurements and characterizations such as density measurement and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were carried out to study the structural and physical properties of the glasses. The gamma shielding measurements were carried out using NaI (TI) detector gamma spectrometer using a Cs-137 radioactive element source with photon energy 0.662 MeV. The density value increased from 2.264847 gcm^-3 to 2.401604 gcm^-3. The XRD spectral pattern showed the amorphous nature of the glasses. The LAC and MAC values ranged between 0.0624 cm^-1 to 0.1277 cm^-1 and 0.0276 cm²/g to 0.0532 cm²/g. Other gamma radiation shielding efficiency parameters studied include Half Value Layers (HVL), Mean Free Path (MFP), Tenth Value Layer (TVL), Permeability Factor (PF) and Radiation Protection Efficiency (RPE).

Dimensions

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Bismuth Doped Soda Lime Silica Borate (SLS–B2O3–Bi2O3) Glasses forGamma Radiation Shielding Application

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