Hardness, Elastic Properties, and Radiation Shielding Performance of the CdO-P2O5-NiO Glass System

Abstract

Elastic parameters of the CdO-P2O5 glass system with different concentrations of NiO content, denoted by CPNE, CPND, CPNC, CPNB and CPNA, were predicated and interpreted by using the Makishima-Mackenzie model (MM-model), and then we compared the results with those obtained by the model of Rocherulle (R-model). Moreover, the photon attenuation properties of this glass system were examined via Geant4 simulations for various energies up to 15 MeV. The applicability of Geant4 simulations for the present study was established by a wide comparison with the theoretical calculations. The results of the basic elastic parameters reveal that both the R-model and MM-model give accurate values for the present glass specimens. The divergence between the MM-model and R-model increases with increasing NiO content. The results of photon attenuation show that the maximum mass attenuation coefficient (MAC) changes from 20.862 cm(2)/g to 22.267 cm(2)/g at 0.015 MeV energy, whereas the minimum MAC are 0.029 cm(2)/g at 8-10 MeV energies. The maximum half value layer (HVL) of the examined glasses decreases in the order of CPNE < CPND < CPNC < CPNB < CPNA. The maximum effective atomic numbers were 44.41, 44.33, 44.17, 44.01 and 43.83 at 0.03 MeV photon energy for CPNA, CPNB, CPNC, CPND and CPNE, respectively. It can be concluded that the NiO-doped CdO-P2O5 glassy composite can be utilized for gamma shielding (radiation protection) applications and the shielding ability of this glass system may be improved by adding more NiO to it, depending on the application.