Structural evolution and dual γ–neutron shielding performance of nano-Gd2O3 reinforced lithium borotellurite glasses


Durmus H., KILIÇ G., İLİK E., KAVAZ PERİŞANOĞLU E., Güler Ö., Birdogan S., ...Daha Fazla

Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids, cilt.677, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus) identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 677
  • Basım Tarihi: 2026
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1016/j.jnoncrysol.2026.123989
  • Dergi Adı: Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Chemical Abstracts Core, Chimica, Compendex, INSPEC
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: Amorphous nanoclusters, Borotellurite glass, Gd2O3 nanoparticles, Radiation shielding, Structural properties
  • Atatürk Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

This study investigates the structural, physical, and radiation-shielding properties of nano-Gd2O3-reinforced lithium borotellurite glasses with the composition 50TeO2-30B2O3-(20-x)Li2O-xGd2O3 (x= 0-10 mol %). X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy confirmed the fully amorphous nature of the glasses and the homogeneous distribution of nanoscale Gd clusters. Density increased from 4.03 to 4.77 g/cm3, accompanied by compositional shifts, decreasing boron and increasing oxygen and tellurium contents, indicating enhanced structural compactness and electron density. Gamma-ray attenuation measurements revealed a 74 % increase in the linear attenuation coefficient from 8.33 to 14.53 cm−1 at 81 keV and a nearly 27 % reduction in the half-value layer from 1.21 to 0.89 cm. Effective atomic number values remained highest for Gd(n)10 across the photon energy range investigated. Experimental neutron dose measurements showed absorption improvements from 37.66 % to 51.91 %, while the effective removal cross-section increased from 0.1066 to 0.1096 cm−1, outperforming water, B4C, and graphite. Compared with the Gd-doped zinc borotellurite glasses reported in the literature, the present lithium-based system exhibited higher densification and superior dual γ-neutron attenuation. These results demonstrate that controlled nano-Gd2O3 integration into the lithium borotellurite matrix yields a stable, lead-free amorphous material with outstanding radiation-shielding efficiency for advanced photonic and nuclear applications.