Influence of zirconium incorporation on the gamma-ray shielding performance of borate-based glass-ceramics: A computational investigation
Physica B: Condensed Matter, cilt.742, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 742
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1016/j.physb.2026.419339
- Dergi Adı: Physica B: Condensed Matter
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Chemical Abstracts Core, Compendex, INSPEC
- Anahtar Kelimeler: Borate glass-ceramics, EpiXS, Gamma-ray shielding, PHITS, Zirconium oxide doping
- Akdeniz Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
The photon shielding characteristics of ZrO2-containing borate-based BAlLiCaZr glass-ceramics with compositions (40B2O3–20Al2O3–10LiF–(30−X)CaO–X ZrO2) were systematically investigated over the photon energy range of 0.100–15.000 MeV. Mass attenuation coefficients (MAC) were determined using XCOM, EpiXS, and the PHITS Monte Carlo code, and the close agreement among the three approaches confirmed the reliability of the calculated attenuation data. The PHITS code was further employed to determine the linear attenuation coefficient (LAC), mean free path (MFP), half-value layer (HVL), and tenth-value layer (TVL), whereas the effective atomic number (Zeff), equivalent atomic number (Zeq), exposure buildup factor (EBF), and energy absorption buildup factor (EABF) were obtained using the EpiXS software. The attenuation coefficients decreased with increasing photon energy, while HVL and MFP exhibited the opposite trend. Zeff and Zeq varied with photon interaction mechanisms and elemental composition, whereas both EBF and EABF showed pronounced maxima within the intermediate-energy region, particularly at larger penetration depths where multiple Compton scattering becomes dominant. Progressive substitution of CaO with ZrO2 reduced buildup factors throughout the investigated penetration depths, indicating improved suppression of scattered-photon accumulation within the material. Among the investigated compositions, BAlLiCaZr4 exhibited the most favorable overall shielding performance. These findings demonstrate that ZrO2-containing BAlLiCaZr glass-ceramics constitute promising candidates for gamma-ray shielding applications and provide a comprehensive reference dataset for the development of advanced radiation protection materials.