The study of the impact of Bi₂O₃ on the x-ray shielding efficacy of the new barium-magnesium-boro-tellurite ceramic system

This computational study delves into the influence of Bi₂O₃ concentration on the x-ray shielding capabilities of (x)Bi₂O₃ + (55-x)B₂O₃ + 15TeO₂ + 10MgO + 20BaO, with x ranging from 0 to 40 mol%. The investigation revealed that higher Bi₂O₃ content leads to increased linear attenuation coefficient (LAC), mass attenuation coefficient (MAC), and effective atomic number (Z_eff). Conversely, the half-value thickness (HVT), tenth-value thickness (TVT), and mean-free path (MFP) decrease as Bi₂O₃ concentration rises. Furthermore, the study noted a linear increase in LAC with Bi₂O₃ mol% at 16%, 3%, and 12% per mol% in the 15-30 keV, 40-80 keV, and 100-300 keV energy ranges, respectively. Thus, the (x)Bi₂O₃ + (55-x)B₂O₃ + 15TeO₂ + 10MgO + 20BaO glass configuration demonstrates the promising potential for x-ray shielding, particularly effective for energies below 40 keV and above 80 keV, with efficacy increasing with higher Bi₂O₃ concentrations.