Boosting the gamma/neutron attenuation of borate glass system using rare earth metal oxides Z.A. Alrowaili, Alaa Hammoud, Jamila S. Alzahrani, I.O. Olarinoye, B. Alshahrani, Awatif Alshamari, M.S. Al-Buriahi Nuclear Engineering and Technology, 2026 The development of low-cost, durable, transparent and efficient radiation shielding materials has become invaluable like never before in conventional and emerging nuclear processes utilising ionising radiation. Materials combining low preparation budget, durability, transparency and good shielding performances are not common in the radiation protection industry, hence the search for advance shielding substances. This study provides a new series of borate-based glass system with the composition 70B 2 O 3 – ( x )Eu 2 O 3 – (y)Tb 2 O 3 – 5Li 2 O – 11BaO –5SrO – 5K 2 O – (4-x-y)PbO, where x + y = 0; 2 and 4 mol.% (i.e., x = y). Samples of the glasses were synthesized by using the melt-quenching technique. The glasses were denoted by BETBP1, BETBP2, and BETBP3, for x + y = 0, 2 and 4 mol.%, respectively. The density of the glasses as well as their gamma photon attenuation coefficients were determined for energies between 0.015 MeV and 10 MeV. Also, the fast neutron (FN) macroscopic cross-sections were computed using Zollers expression and for FN beams from three radionuclides ( 235 U, 241 Am-Be, and 252 Cf). The measured glass densities ranged between 3.015 and 3.134 g/cm 3 , indicating a systematic increase with the concentration of the rare earth metals. The gamma-ray mass attenuation coefficients (MACs) of the glasses fluctuated with glass composition in a non-linear way across the 0.015–10 MeV energy range. At 0.015 MeV, the MAC of BETBP1, BETBP2, and BETBP3 was 24.73, 25.69, and 26.31 cm 2 /g, respectively. Generally, BETBP1 had the least gamma photon buildup factors, highest fast neutron macroscopic removal cross-section and gamma attenuation capacity. The FN removal cross-section obtained through the Zollers empirical calculation model and for FN energy spectra from 235 U, 241 Am-Be, and 252 Cf nuclides was 0.1032 cm −1 , 0.0940 cm −1 , 0.0940 cm −1 and 0.0945 cm −1 for BETBP1, 0.1020 cm −1 , 0.0930 cm −1 , 0.0931 cm −1 and 0.0935 cm −1 for BETBP2, 0.1044 cm −1 , 0.0953 cm −1 , 0.0953 cm −1 and 0.0958 cm −1 for BETBP3, respectively. The addition of Eu 2 O 3 and Tb 2 O 3 into the borate glass system enhanced gamma attenuation and fast neutron moderation capabilities. The investigated glasses demonstrated better gamma and neutron attenuation performance in contrast to existing shielding materials, thus potentially useful for radiation protection purposes in medical and industrial applications of ionising radiation.
