Abstract Bioactive glasses are glass-based materials that can be used in both biomedical and industrial applications due to their customizable chemical composition and high surface reactivity. Their adjustable chemical composition allows bioactive glasses to be used as radiation shielding materials in radiation-exposed areas. In this study, to reduce the high toxicity and limited bioactivity associated with PbO, a NiO-reinforced boron-tellurium-based glass system (65B 2 O 3 -15TeO 2 -15BaO-(5− x )PbO- x NiO) ( x = 0, 0.5, 1, 3, 5) was developed. The structural, mechanical, and gamma radiation absorption properties of these glasses were comprehensively analyzed. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses confirmed that all samples were amorphous and showed that a progressive BO 4 → BO 3 structural transformation occurred in the glass network as the NiO content increased. FTIR analysis showed that NiO substitution increased the formation of non-bridging oxygen in the glass network, leading to structural rearrangements. Thermal analysis showed that increasing NiO content increased mass losses and instabilities in the glass transition region. These structural changes were also reflected in the mechanical properties; Young's modulus decreased from the initial value of 121.15 GPa to 107.11 GPa. To reveal radiation shielding properties, ɣ emitted from Ba133, Na22, and Co60 point radiation sources was measured with a NaI(Tl) (ORTEC ® ) detector. These measurements resulted in the determination of linear attenuation coefficient (LAC) values. The LAC value obtained at 356 keV gamma energy decreased to 0.5574 ± 0.0297 cm −1 for the BBTKN glass series and 0.3842 ± 0.0251 cm −1 for the BBTKN5 glass series. Mass attenuation coefficient values decreased from 0.1368 g cm −2 to 0.1130 g cm −2 . Half-value layer values increased from 1.2435 cm to 1.8042 cm. Similar increases also occurred in the tenth-value layer and mean free path values. Despite the reduction in PbO content, the improved microstructural homogeneity associated with NiO incorporation mitigated the loss in shielding efficiency. Taking all these effects into account, substituting NiO eliminates the high toxicity of PbO, offering a safer and more sustainable approach and enabling the development of glass systems that provide a certain level of radiation shielding. Graphical abstract
Yusuf Kavun (Wed,) studied this question.