RADIATION SHIELDING PROPERTIES OF TZ-OXYFLUORIDE GLASSES MODIFIED WITH Ce3+

Koca S., Kılıç G.

13th International ZEUGMA CONGRESS ON SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, Gaziantep, Turkey, 24 - 26 February 2025, pp.1-2, (Summary Text)

  • Publication Type: Conference Paper / Summary Text
  • City: Gaziantep
  • Country: Turkey
  • Page Numbers: pp.1-2
  • Eskisehir Osmangazi University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

TeO2, known for its glass network forming properties, is a conditional glass former and has remarkable radiation shielding properties when modified with transition metals or rare earth elements.  In this study, four undoped and CeF3 doped glass samples were synthesized and their radiation shielding parameters were compared. The basic glass structure was determined as 70%TeO2-20%ZnO-10%ZnF2 and CeF3 was doped into this structure in such a way that the composition of (100-x)%(70%TeO2-20%ZnO-10%ZnF2)-x%CeF3 (x=1,2,3) was maintained. The method used to synthesize the glass samples is the traditional melt-quenching technique. The interaction mechanisms of radiation with matter and the shielding performance of the samples at different energy levels were investigated. The shielding capacities of the samples; linear and mass attenuation coefficients (LAC and MAC), half-value (HVL), tenth-value (TVL) lengths, mean free path (MFP), effective atomic number (Zeff) and effective electron density (Neff), equivalent atomic number (Zeq), exposure buildup factor (EBF) and energy absorption buildup factor (EABF) parameters were obtained and evaluated using Phy-X/PSD program. According to the data obtained, the TZC3 sample had the highest linear attenuation coefficient (0.35 cm-¹) and the lowest mean free path (2.85 cm) at 15 MeV energy level. At high energies, the HVL and TVL values of TZC3 were 1.98 cm and 6.6 cm, respectively, indicating that this material provides effective protection with lower thicknesses. Furthermore, the effective atomic number (Zeff) of TZC3 was up to 45 at 15 MeV, while the effective electron density (Neff) was calculated as 6x10²³ electron/g. Energy accumulation factors (EBF and EABF) analyses also confirm that TZC3 absorbs low-energy photons more efficiently by accumulating less energy. As a result, CeF3-doped TZC3 sample was separated from other samples with its shielding performance against high-energy photons and stood out as the most suitable material for shielding applications.

Keywords: Zinc-Telluride glass, Oxyfluoride, CeF3, Radiation shielding