Influence of increasing SnO2 content on the mechanical, optical, and gamma-ray shielding characteristics of a lithium zinc borate glass system

Abstract A series of six samples were prepared based on the chemical composition of 65B2O3 + 20ZnO + (15-x)LiF + xSnO2 (where x = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1, and 1.25 mol%) to study the role of SnO2 on enhancing the optical and radiation attenuation capacity of the prepared glasses. The preparation of the glass series was performed using the melt quenching method at 1100 °C for 60 min. The density of the fabricated samples was measured using an MH-300A densimeter. The optical parameters of the fabricated glasses were calculated based on the spectrum recorded by a Cary 5000 UV–Vis–NIR double beam spectrophotometer in a wavelength range of 200 to 3000 nm. Furthermore, Monte Carlo simulation code and the XCOM online database were used to estimate the gamma-ray shielding capacity of the fabricated samples from 0.244 to 2.506 MeV. The results show enhanced gamma-ray shielding capacity due to the replacement of LiF by SnO2. The linear attenuation coefficient at 0.244 MeV was enhanced from 0.352 to 0.389 cm−1. The half-value thickness of the investigated glasses decreased from 1.967 to 1.784 cm when the increasing addition of SnO2 from 0 to 1.25 mol%.