Effect of Bi2O3 on the mechanical, physical and radiation shielding properties of SiO2-B2O3-ZnO-Al2O3 glasses

In this study, we evaluated the effect of different Bi2O3 contents (45–60 mass %) on the radiation protection ability, mechanical properties, and physical properties of glass samples composed of Bi₂O₃-SiO₂-B₂O₃-ZnO-Al₂O₃. To assess these properties, we utilized the Monte Carlo based code MCNPX 2.6.0 and the Phy-X PSD program. We calculated various mechanical and physical values, including the elastic modulus, Poisson's ratio (σ), and Fractal Bond Connectivity. The radiation shielding properties of various glass compositions were investigated for a range of photon energies including 0.284, 0.347, 0.511, 0.662, 0.826, and 1.173 MeV. The study found that glass compositions with minimal mole fraction of B₂O₃ exhibited higher density, Equivalent Atomic Number (Z_eq), Effective Atomic Number (Z_eff), Molar Oxygen Volume, and lower Half Value Layer (HVL), Tenth Value Layer (TVL), Mean Free Path (MFP), and Oxygen Packing Density. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that the glass composition containing 60Bi is the most effective γ-ray attenuator and is recommended as the best glass for this purpose.