Multifunctional PbO2-Based borate glasses: Tailoring mechanical, optical, and radiation shielding capabilities through composition control

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Journal of Science Advanced Materials and Devices

Abstract

This study synthesized four glasses using melt-quenching with the composition xPbO2-(66-x)B2O3-22BaO-9CaO-3Y2O3 (x = 11, 14, 17, and 20 mol%) to evaluate their physical, mechanical, optical, and radiation shielding properties. Density and molecular weight rose from 4.312 to 4.800 g cm−3 and 110.155–125.418 g mol−1 with increasing PbO2, due to its higher atomic mass. Mechanical properties, Young's modulus (91.422–81.473 GPa) and micro-hardness (4.733–4.484 GPa), declined with PbO2 addition, attributed to reduced bond strength and compactness. Optical band gaps (direct: 2.931–2.849 eV, indirect: 2.478–2.296 eV) decreased up to 17 mol% PbO2, while Urbach energy rose from 0.347 to 0.414 eV, indicating more non-bridging oxygens. Refractive index increased (2.558–2.668), and Metallization values dropped (0.351–0.329), suggesting a reduced insulating nature. Radiation shielding was evaluated in the energy range of 0.015–15 MeV using Phy-X software. Pb20Y3 showed superior shielding due to the highest PbO2. LAC at 0.015 MeV rose from 186.392 to 261.730 cm−1; HVL at 1 MeV dropped from 2.557 to 2.252 cm; TVL at 0.4 MeV reduced from 4.048 to 3.243 cm. Zeff peaked at 63.28 for Pb20Y3 at 0.015 MeV. Compared to other glass systems, the prepared glasses exhibited enhanced shielding, highlighting the potential of PbO2-rich glasses for optical and radiation protection applications.

DOI

10.1016/j.jsamd.2025.101043

Publication Date

12-1-2025

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