Influence of B2O3 incorporation on the structural, mechanical and radiation shielding properties of TeO2 Based bioglasses

This study investigates the structural, mechanical, and radiation shielding properties of a series of novel bio glasses with the composition (55-x)TeO 2 -20Na 2 O-10CaO-15P 2 O 5 -xB 2 O 3 (where x = 0, 3, 5, 10, and 20 mol%). The aim was to evaluate the effect of B 2 O 3 addition on these properties. Empirical methods were used for calculating the mechanical and elastic properties . XRD analysis confirmed the amorphous nature of the glasses, while FTIR spectroscopy revealed the presence of characteristic functional groups associated with TeO 2 and B 2 O 3 . The results indicate that B 2 O 3 incorporation significantly reduces the glass density (from 4.24 g/cm 3 to 3.18 g/cm 3 ) and enhances molar volume (from 29.963 cm 3 /mol to 34.302 cm 3 /mol), leading to a less compact glass structure . The mechanical properties were also affected, with fracture toughness decreasing (from 1.367 MPa m 1/2 to 1.280 MPa m 1/2 ) and hardness increasing (from 3.091 GPa to 3.207 GPa). Regarding radiation shielding performance, the Linear Attenuation Coefficient (LAC) values decreased with increasing B 2 O 3 content, indicating a deterioration in shielding effectiveness due to the lower effective atomic number of B 2 O 3 compared to TeO 2 . These findings demonstrate that while B 2 O 3 improves mechanical hardness and molar volume , it compromises radiation shielding properties by reducing glass density and attenuation capacity.