Influence of Germanium on radiation shielding properties of Chalcogens Se and Te-rich glassy alloys

Chalcogenide glasses (ChGs) are promising candidates for radiation shielding owing to their high density, infrared transparency, and compositional flexibility. In the present work, the gamma-ray and fast-neutron shielding properties of quaternary Se 78-x Te 20 Sn 2 Ge x (0 ≤ x ≤ 6)glassy alloys were systematically investigated. The mass and linear attenuation coefficients were evaluated in the photon energy range of 0.015–15 MeV using the Phy-X/PSD platform. The results reveal that the STSG-2 composition (x = 4 at.% Ge) exhibits the highest density (4.57 gcm -3 ), the lowest half-value layer and mean free path, and the maximum fast neutron removal cross-section among the investigated glasses. At 0.015 MeV, the linear attenuation coefficient reaches its maximum for STSG-2, indicating superior low-energy photon shielding. These findings demonstrate that controlled Ge incorporation into Se–Te–Sn chalcogenide glasses provides an effective route to developing transparent, multifunctional gamma- and fast-neutron-shielding materials. • New SeTeSnGe glasses have been tested for use as radiation shielding applications. • The variation of the radiation shielding characteristics with varying germanium concentrations has been reported. • The shielding characteristics are enhanced after the incorporation of germanium.