Repercussions of yttrium oxides on radiation shielding capacity of sodium-silicate glass system: experimental and Monte Carlo simulation study

• Published in: European physical journal plus Vol. 136; no. 4; p. 428
• Main Authors: Tashlykov, O. L., Vlasova, S. G., Kovyazina, I. S., Mahmoud, K. A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.04.2021; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Applied and Technical Physics; Atomic; Attenuation coefficients; Cobalt; Complex Systems; Condensed Matter Physics; Drug dosages; Fast neutrons; Gamma rays; Geometry; Insertion; Isotopes; Mathematical and Computational Physics; Medical research; Molecular; Monte Carlo simulation; Nuclear medicine; Optical and Plasma Physics; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Radiation; Radiation shielding; Regular Article; Scientific imaging; Sensors; Silicon dioxide; Sodium; Software; Synthesis; Theoretical; X-rays; Yttrium; Yttrium oxide
• ISSN: 2190-5444; 2190-5444
• DOI: 10.1140/epjp/s13360-021-01420-0

Five glass samples with composition 37.5 Na 2 O + (61.1 −  x ) SiO 2  +  x Y 2 O 3 , x  = 1, 2, 5, 5.7 and 6 mol% were synthesized using the melting methods at temperatures varying between 1400 and 1500 °C, depending on the Y 2 O 3 insertion ratio. The synthesized glasses density was measured using the Archimedes method. Moreover, the linear attenuation coefficient was measured experimentally using the gamma-ray transmission method with NaI (Tl) crystal and radio-isotopes C-137 and Co-60. The mass attenuation coefficient was calculated based on the experimental linear attenuation coefficient and confirmed using the Monte Carlo simulation MCNP-5 code and XCOM program. The gamma-ray shielding capacity was enhanced with the replacement of SiO 2 by Y 2 O 3 . The LAC at energy 0.662 MeV varied in the range between 0.201 and 0.232 cm −1 , increasing the Y 2 O 3 insertion ratio between 1 and 6 mol%, respectively. The fast neutron effective removal cross section ∑ R (cm 2 /g) was also evaluated theoretically for the fabricated glass samples. The computed ∑ R values decreased linearly with the Y 2 O 3 content.