Investigating La₂O₃-enriched glass compositions: thermal, optical, structural properties and Gamma-Ray shielding efficiency

This study involves the investigation of the effect of the replacement of B₂O₃ with La₂O₃ on the properties of the multi-component lead Borovanadate glass. Five samples were prepared using the fast-quenching method according to the chemical formula (43-x) mole % B₂O₃ - x mole % La₂O₃- 10 mol % V₂O₅-12.5 mol % CaO-12.5 mol % Li₂O -22 mol %PbO, where x = 0, 1, 2, 3, and 5 mol %. The amorphous character of the synthesized samples was confirmed via Fourier transform infrared and X-ray diffraction. XRD patterns suggest a lack of long-range organized crystalline structure, but FTIR reveals various structural unit blocks. On the other side, the increment of La₂O₃ content caused a proportional increase in the glasses’ bulk density and molar volume. UV analysis revealed that the sample with 5 mol % La₂O₃ had superior absorption properties compared to the other samples. All the samples were found to be effective in transmitting light within the energy range of 3.43–4.07 eV, with the La₂O₃-free sample demonstrating the highest level of light transmission among all the samples. The radiation shielding characteristics of the synthesized glasses were analyzed. The theoretical predictions for the mass attenuation coefficients using WinXCom agreed well with the measured values, providing validation for both the software and the experimental techniques used. This investigation found that La₂O₃ concentration influenced the linear attenuation coefficient (LAC) at a defined energy level, with higher La₂O₃ resulting in higher LAC values. The study also showed that lower energy levels had better linear attenuation compared to higher ones.