Effect of BaO on the structural, optical, and gamma-ray shielding properties of multicomponent borate glasses

The (55−x)B 2 O 3 -(22+x)BaO–13ZnO–5CaO–4MgO–1La 2 O 3 (where x = 0, 4, 8, 12 mol%) glasses were prepared via the melt-quenching technique. FTIR spectral indicates the initial polymerization of the network followed by severe depolymerization beyond 26 mol% BaO. It is evidenced by the decrease in the fraction of tetrahedral boron ( N 4 ) and the formation of non-bridging oxygens (NBOs). The density is increased from 3.869 to 4.274 gcm −3 . The elastic moduli exhibited a softening trend, with Young’s modulus decreasing from 96.05 to 83.38 GPa. Optical absorption studies indicated a red shift in the optical band gap from 2.969 to 2.689 eV. Conversely, the refractive index increased from 2.405 to 2.486. Additionally, the radiation shielding performance was investigated using Phy-X software. At low energies, high linear attenuation coefficient (LAC) values were observed due to photoelectric absorption (78.05 cm −1 at 0.02 MeV for the Ba34), while the effective atomic number increased from 39.97 (Ba22) to 43.73 (Ba34). These prepared glasses conforming their suitability as efficient shielding materials.