Nuclear attenuation ability of ternary alumina-borate glass system for medical shielding applications

Abstract

The present study aims to delve into sodium alumina-borate glass systems doped with transition metals by means of their optical properties and gamma attenuation performance, with a specific focus on their nuclear shielding applications. By leveraging advanced computational tools and simulation techniques, such as FLUKA and XCOM software, this research endeavours to investigate the optical properties and the gamma/radiation shielding ability of the glass system involved. The study seeks to elucidate the fundamental mechanisms governing optical transmission, radiation attenuation, and the overall shielding efficacy of these innovative glass systems. The results show that the optical properties as well as nuclear shielding ability of the glass system, including optical transmission, absorption coefficient, and half value layer (HVL), are significantly affected by Fe2O3 concentrations. Therefore, the incorporation of transition metals leads to enhance the attenuation of gamma rays, indicating an increase in the material's shielding efficiency against incident radiation. The findings of this study have important implications for the design and development of glass materials for various applications, such as nuclear energy, radiation detection, and optical communication.