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- MakaleAçık Erişim2026Scopus SJRQ1Comparative effects of La2O3 and Sm2O3 on structural and radiation shielding properties of WO3 enriched borate glassy-ceramics
Taşgın, Yahya; Yılmaz, Demet; Kanca, M. Sait; Yayla, Nihal; Kök, Mediha; Güler, Ömer
This research comprehensively investigates the impact of incorporating rare earth oxides ‑samarium oxide (Sm2O3) and lanthanum oxide (La2O3)- into a borate glassy-ceramic system enriched with tungsten oxide (WO3), with a focus on both structural characteristics and radiation shielding performance. SEM-EDS, elemental mapping, and XRD analyses conducted on the synthesized glassy-ceramic samples revealed that the incorporated rare earth oxides, Sm2O3 and La2O3, were uniformly distributed throughout the glassy-ceramic matrix. The results also confirmed that the glassy-ceramic retained its inherently amorphous structure. Moreover, the nominal doping levels of the rare earth elements were found to be in agreement with both the qualitative and quantitative results obtained from EDS measurements. Also, the gamma ray shielding parameters of synthesized glassy-ceramic samples were measured in absorption geometry with Am-241, Ba-133 and Ra-226 radioactive sources. The neutron shielding parameters were theoretically calculated. The 241Am-Be fast neutron source was used to measure the equivalent dose of neutron absorption. At an incident photon energy of 74.8 keV, the mass attenuation coefficient of the tungsten oxide–enriched borate glassy-ceramic exhibited a remarkable improvement—rising by 17.98 % with the addition of 3 wt% Sm2O3 and by 11.58 % with the addition of 3 wt% La2O3. Notably, the N4 sample demonstrated a significant reduction in neutron-equivalent dose rate, reaching 19.80 % (μSv/h). The lead equivalent thicknesses (Pbeq) calculated at 356 keV were 0.02397 cmPb for N0, 0.0391 cmPb for N1, 0.0403 cmPb for N4, and 0.0389 cmPb for N7. When benchmarked against the undoped N0 sample, the N4 and N7 compositions exhibited reductions in Pbeq values by approximately 68 % and 62 %, respectively, indicating a marked improvement in gamma shielding efficiency. Among all tested formulations, the Sm2O3-doped variant demonstrated superior gamma-ray attenuation capability relative to the La2O3-doped glassy-ceramic. Furthermore, the N4 sample achieved an impressive thermal neutron attenuation rate of 96.46 %, underscoring its strong potential as an effective dual-purpose shielding material against both thermal neutrons and ionizing gamma radiation.
AtıfScopus1
İncele - MakaleAçık Erişim2026Scopus SJRQ1Investigation of the structural, thermal and radiation shielding properties of (Er0.2Yb0.2Sm0.2La0.2Eu0.2)2Zr2O7 high entropy oxide reinforced tin matrix composite
Güler, Ömer; Yılmaz, Demet; Kanca, M. Sait; Kök, Mediha; Güler, Seval Hale; Taşgın, Yahya
This study investigates the structural, thermal, and radiation shielding properties of (Er0.2Yb0.2Sm0.2La0.2Eu0.2)2Zr2O7 high entropy oxide (HEO) reinforced tin (Sn) matrix composites. In the first stage of the study, HEO powders were synthesized by grinding at 350 rpm for 30 h using a solid-state method with mechanical alloying assistance, and then calcining at 1100 °C for 8 h. In the second stage, composites were produced by mixing HEO-reinforced Sn matrix materials containing 1%, 5%, and 10% reinforcement, pelleting them under 200 MPa pressure, and then sintering them at 300 °C for 3 h. In the first stage of the study, (Er0.2Yb0.2Sm0.2La0.2Eu0.2)2Zr2O7 HEO powders were synthesized using a mechanical alloying-assisted solid-state route. In the second stage, HEO-reinforced Sn matrix composites containing 1 wt%, 5 wt%, and 10 wt% reinforcement were produced. The phase formation and crystallographic structure of the synthesized powders and composites were characterized using X-ray diffraction. Thermal behavior and phase stability were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The thermal analysis results revealed dehydration and structural stabilization processes at intermediate temperatures, while crystallization of the HEO phase was observed at elevated temperatures. In addition, oxidation behavior of the Sn matrix composites was evaluated, showing that the presence of HEO particles significantly suppresses mass gain during high-temperature oxidation, indicating improved thermal stability. Finally, the radiation shielding performance of the samples was experimentally evaluated within the photon energy range of 59.54–609.2 keV using Am-241, Ba-133, and Ra-226 radioactive sources together with a Ultra-Low Energy Germanium (ULEGe) detector. The results demonstrate that the incorporation of HEO particles leads to minor, energy-dependent variations in the radiation attenuation capability of the tin matrix, influenced by the presence of high atomic number rare-earth elements and modified microstructural characteristics. The gamma radiation protection coefficient (RPC) values indicate strong attenuation in the low photon energy region, decreasing to approximately 16–19% at 609.3 keV. Moreover, the measured neutron equivalent dose rates increase from 0.054 µSv/h for pure Sn to 0.285 µSv/h for the Sn–10%HEO composite, indicating that HEO incorporation modifies the neutron interaction behavior of the Sn matrix composites.