Gamma-ray Shielding Characteristics and Electrical Properties of Na₂O Doped Zinc-Boro-Vanadate Glasses

Abstract

A set of glasses of composition (ZnO)_0.3-(V₂O₅)_0.6–x-(B₂O₃)_0.1-(Na₂O)_x with x = 0.1, 0.15, 0.2 and 0.3 were prepared and their non-crystallinity were confirmed. Density and molar volume were found to decrease with increasing Na₂O concentration. Using Phy-X/PSD and XCOM softwares, radiation-shielding efficiency was determined by estimating mass attenuation coefficient, linear attenuation coefficient, effective atomic number, half value layer, tenth value layer and mean free path of glasses for gamma energy from 0.005 to 15 MeV. Obtained shielding parameters led to propose the glasses for γ-ray shielding at lower energy regime. Conductivity variation with temperature was analyzed using Mott’s small polaron hopping model and activation energy was determined. It was found to decrease with increasing Na₂O content both at high and low temperature. The density of states at Fermi level was determined using Mott’s and Greave’s variable range hopping (VRH) models at low temperature.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Keywords:

• Vanadate glasses
• γ-ray shielding
• Density
• Conductivity