Impact of neodymium oxide (Nd 2 O 3 ) substitution in barium - boron-phosphate glasses: A pathway to superior mechanical, optical, and radiation shielding performance

This study delves into the impact of substituting Nd2O3 for Na2O in Barium-Boron-Phosphate glasses, aiming to enhance their mechanical strength, optical characteristics, and radiation shielding efficacy. Glasses with a composition of 50B2O3 + 20P2O5 + 20BaO + (10-x)Na2O + xNd2O3 (x = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 mol%) were synthesized and characterized. The findings indicate that as the Nd/Na ratio increases, the density of the glass also rises within the range of 3.77-4.23 g/cm3. Moreover, the addition of Nd leads to notable alterations in the optical characteristics of the resulting glasses. Specifically, there is a shift observed in the UV absorption edges, coupled with a noticeable increase in absorption at visible wavelengths. Moreover, Nd2O3 addition reduced the Urbach energy (from 0.6018 to 0.2239 eV for Nd0-Nd4) and the optical band gap indicating improved electronic structure and decreased disorder. The mechanical properties studied using the Makishima-Mackenzie model show As the replacement ratio of Nd2O3 increases, there is a noticeable improvement in the glass's mechanical robustness. Importantly, Glasses with high Nd/Na ratio in their composition exhibit enhanced radiation shielding capabilities, evidenced by increased mass attenuation coefficients and effective removal cross-sections for photons and fast neutrons, respectively. These findings suggest that Nd2O3-doped glasses offer a promising pathway for developing superior radiation shielding materials with tailored properties for diverse applications in nuclear facilities, medical devices, and space exploration equipment.

Journal

CERAMICS INTERNATIONAL

Year

2024

Volume

50

Issue

17

Pages

29459-29467

ISSN

0272-8842

eISSN

1873-3956

DOI

10.1016/j.ceramint.2024.05.240

WoS UID

WOS:001261613600001