(59.5-x) P${}_2$O${}_5$-30Na${}_2$O-10Al${}_2$O${}_3$-0.5CoO-xNd${}_2$O${}_3$ glassy system. An experimental investigation on structural and gamma-ray shielding properties

In this study, five different glasses encoded ND1, ND2, ND3, ND4 and ND5 based on (59.5–x) P${}_2$O${}_5$-30Na${}_2$O-10Al${}_2$O${}_3$-0.5CoO-xNd${}_2$O${}_3$ (x = 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 mol%) glass system were fabricated. Using two γ- ray energies emitted from point sources, 356 keV (${}^{133}$Ba) and 662 keV (${}^{137}$Cs), γ-ray attenuation coefficients were measured as a function of the Nd${}_2$O${}_3$ concentration. The theoretical values of the mass attenuation coefficient were calculated using the XCOM program at 0.015–15-MeV photon energies. As it is underlined in the results section, the mass attenuation coefficient increases as the Nd${}_2$O${}_3$ concentration increases. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was characterized for fabricated glasses. Moreover, different shielding parameters such as half-value layer (HVL), mean free path (MFP), effective atomic numbers (Z${}_{eff}$), basic gamma-ray attenuation properties such as exposure buildup factors (EBF) and energy absorption buildup factors (EABF) at different penetration depths were calculated. With increasing Nd${}_2$O${}_3$ additive in glass samples, half-value layer (HVL), average free path (MFP), exposure and energy absorption buildup factor (EBF and EABF) values decrease. On the other hand, Z${}_{eff}$ values increase with increasing Nd${}_2$O${}_3$ additive in glass samples at the photon energy 0.015–15 MeV. The results highlighted that ND5 sample with highest value of Nd${}_2$O${}_3$ (5 mol%) showed excellent nuclear radiation shielding properties.