The impact of TeO2 content on radiation shielding properties for zinc-tellurite borosilicate glasses

A novel Zinc-Tellurite borosilicate (ZTBS) glass system was successfully synthesized via the melt quench process. Its chemical composition is represented by the formula (44SiO₂-25B₂O₃-18Na₂O-6CaO-1ZrO₂-(6-x)ZnO-xTeO₂), and its weight fraction (x = 0, 2, 4, 6 wt%). The shielding properties, there is perfect agreement between the results of the theoretical calculation of the mass attenuation coefficient using the Phy-X/PSD and the compatible values derived from the WinXCom databases. Further, several photon shielding parameters were computed in the 15 keV–15 MeV energy range, including the mass attenuation coefficient (MAC), half value layer (HVL), mean free path (MFP), exposure buildup factor (EBF), and effective atomic number (Z_eff). The preferred sample for gamma ray shielding is the sample with the highest TeO₂ concentration (ZTBS3), according to the results. ZTBS3 glass samples have greater MAC and HVL values than other published borosilicate glasses at 662.61 k eV photon energy which reaches 0.07626 cm⁻²/g and 3.429 cm respectively. Also, LAC values is higher in the sample with the largest concentration of TeO₂. Furthermore, the computed HVL and MFP were lower than those of regular concrete. The shielding results indicate that the newly developed transparent ZTBS glasses compositions that are lightweight and have good shielding properties that may be suitable in shielding applications. Depending on the application, the ratio of TeO₂ additive should be balanced between improved shielding and glass stability features.