Fabrication, structural, physical, optical characteristics and γ-ray attenuation capacity of borosilicate glasses doped with Gd₂O₃

Barium fluoride borosilicate glass samples reinforced with varying amounts of Gd₂O₃ (BSBLG0-BSBLG4) have been manufactured using the conventional melt quenching procedure in order to provide additional research on the type of borosilicate glass. Structural, physical, and linear optical characteristics as well as γ-ray attenuation capacity of barium fluoride borosilicate doped with Gd₂O₃ was investigated. X-ray diffraction pattern proving the amorphous nature of the glass samples due to the absence of a distinctive crystalline characteristic peak. The density (ρ) slightly increased from 2.74 g/cm³ to 2.91 g/cm³ and the molar volume (V_m) ranged from 31.27 cm³/mol to 31.49 cm³/mol with increasing Gd₂O₃ substitution ratio. The UV-Vis absorption spectra revealed a considerable increase in the absorbance of the glass samples in the visible and ultraviolet wavelength range and the UV absorption edge shifted to a higher wavelength as the Gd₂O₃ substitution ratio increased. The direct optical gap (E_g) ranged from 3.40 eV to 3.21 eV, while the indirect values dropped from 2.88 eV to 2.74 eV. The values of Urbach's energy (E_u) increased from 0.35 eV to 0.38 eV. The dispersion and indices of refraction were significantly impacted by Gd₂O₃ concentration. Real (ε₁) and imaginary (ε₂) parts of optical dielectric constants improved as the ratio of Gd³⁺ ions increased. Mass attenuation coefficient (MAC), linear attenuation coefficient (LAC), and effective atomic number (Z_eff) parameters were increased as Gd₂O₃ content increased in the glass networks. Half-value layer (HVL) and mean free path (MFP) followed the order: BSBLG0 > BSBLG1 > BSBLG2 > BSBLG3 > BSBLG4. Results concluded that the suggested glasses cab be applied in opt-electronic devices and radiation shielding applications.