Ultrasonic waves, mechanical properties and radiation shielding competence of Er3+ doped lead borate glasses: experimental and theoretical investigations

Kinetic, mechanical properties of xPbO-(10-x)Er2O3-90Bi2O3: x = 3 (BEP-3), 5 (BEP-5), 7 (BEP-7), 9 (BEP-9), and 10 (BEP-10) mol% glass system were investigated experimentally utilizing the pulse-echo technique and theoretically via bond compression and Makishima and Mackenzie models. Radiation shielding capacity of the investigated BEP-glasses was also evaluated via Phy-X/PSD code. The longitudinal and shear ultrasonic wave velocities were increased with the increase in PbO content in BEP-glasses. Values of the elastic moduli, longitudinal modulus, shear modulus, bulk modulus, and microhardness, for BEP-glasses were enhanced when the PbO content increased from 3 to 10 mol % content. There was good agreement between the obtained values of experimental and theoretical values of elastic moduli. The maximum mass attenuation coefficient value of 10368.30, 10381.78, 10395.25, 10408.93, and 10415.417 cm2/g was obtained at the least energy of 15 keV while corresponding least value of 4.102, 4.108, 4.114, 4.120, and 4.124 was obtained at E value of 4 MeV for BEP-3, BEP-5, BEP-7, BEP-9, and BEP-10, respectively. The half value layer of the BEP-glasses was lower than those of ordinary concrete and RS-360. The fast neutron removal cross section values varied from 0.0733 to 0.0903 cm-1 for BEP-3 – BEP-10. The total stopping power (TSP) follows the trend (TSP)BEP-3 < (TSP)BEP-5 < (TSP)BEP-10 < (TSP)BEP-9 < (TSP)BEP-7. Generally, one can conclude that the optimum PbO concentration for gamma-ray shielding is BEP-9 glasses, while for electron absorption is BEP-7 glasses.