Nuclear radiation shielding using barium borosilicate glass ceramics

This study assessed the ability of glass ceramics that included zirconolite and barite to protect against different kinds of radiation. Firstly, the mass attenuation coefficient (μ/ρ) values of five different glass ceramics with different amounts of SO3, barite, and zirconolite additive were simulated by MCNPX (version 2.6.0) codes at 0.015–20 MeV photon energies. The simulated results were tested by comparing with theoretical data. With the help of μ/ρ values, essential gamma protection parameters of glass ceramics such as half-value layer, linear attenuation coefficient, effective atomic number, equivalent atomic number, and exposure buildup factor were obtained. The results showed that the S0 sample may be a safe protective material against gamma-radiation. Removal cross-sections of glass ceramics were acquired to determine the capacity of the glass ceramics to stop fast neutrons. The addition of barite and zirconolite raised the density and increased the neutron preventive capacity of the glass ceramics. Finally, the competence of glass ceramics to stop charged alpha and proton particles was investigated using parameters of mass stopping power and projected range. It is concluded that the range of charged particles was the shortest in S0 glass ceramic. The corollaries of the present work will help in determining the impact of barite and zirconolite on the nuclear shielding capacity of glass ceramics. •μ/ρ values of glass ceramics were simulated by MCNPX codes.•Vital γ-shielding parameters of glass ceramics (HVL, LAC, Zeff, Zeq, and EBF) were surveyed.•ΣR was used to determine the ability of the ceramics to attenuate fast neutrons.•The ability of the glass ceramics to stop alpha and proton particles was determined.