Evaluating mechanical, durability, and gamma shielding performance in boro-phosphate glasses with tungsten oxide replacements

This work explores the impact of incorporating tungsten oxide (WO3) into boro-phosphate glasses, aiming to enhance their mechanical strength, durability, and gamma radiation shielding capabilities. The study includes the fabrication of glasses within the range of xLi2WO4–(50–x)Li2O–40P2O5–10B2O3, with varying WO3 content (x) from 0 to 50 wt%. The mechanical properties, including Vickers hardness and elastic constants, were assessed. Moreover, the chemical durability, measured through dissolution experiments, and the radiation shielding performance were investigated. The findings show that increasing WO3 content leads to improved microhardness, but reduced chemical durability due to depolymerization of the glass network. Additionally, the gamma radiation shielding capabilities were significantly enhanced with higher WO3 content, demonstrating the potential of these glasses for radiation shielding applications.