Elastic and radiation shielding properties of zinc borotellurite glass systems: The impact of gadolinium oxide

Using the formula [(TeO₂)₇₀(B₂O₃)₃₀], this study examines the impact of Gd₂O₃ on the elasticity and radiation shielding characteristics of zinc borotellurite glass. Glass samples containing 1–5% mol% Gd₂O₃ were created by employing the melt quench technique. XRD verified that they are amorphous in nature, and the existence of TeO₃, TeO₄, BO₃, and BO₄ vibrational groups was revealed by infrared spectra. The structural alterations were shown by the range of longitudinal and shear ultrasonic velocities, which were 3908–4076 m/s and 2222–2277 m/s, respectively. The glass's rigidity was improved by the large rise in elastic moduli, such as bulk (45 GPa), longitudinal (80 GPa), shear (25 GPa), and Young's moduli (60 GPa), with a higher Gd₂O₃ content. Higher concentrations of Gd₂O₃ resulted in a rise in the mass attenuation coefficient (μ_ρ), as measured by WinXcom, which enhanced gamma-ray shielding. The half-value layer (HVL) and mean free path (MFP) at 0.662 MeV decreased with increasing Gd₂O₃ in a consistent manner. The maximum density and optimum gamma-ray shielding performance were found in the glass containing 5 mol% Gd₂O₃. These results show Gd₂O₃ for applications needing greater rigidity and better radiation protection by demonstrating how it affects the elastic and radiation-shielding efficiency of the glass network.