Influence of praseodymium oxide on the structural, mechanical and photon, charged particles, and neutron shielding properties of alumina borate glass

The structural, mechanical and radiation shielding properties of (69-x)B2O3-20TeO2-10Al2O3-1HfO2-xPr6O11 (where x = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1 mol %) glass system were investigated. This study introduces a novel approach by incorporating Pr6O11 into glass composition, highlighting its unique contributions to enhancing elastic properties, fracture toughness, hardness, and radiation shielding abilities. Experimental measurements were conducted within the energy range of 59.54–661.62 keV and theoretical calculations are made for MAC values. The presence of Pr6O11 was noted to positively influence the gamma shielding capabilities. At 59.54 keV, the addition of 0.25 mol% Pr6O11 increased the mass attenuation coefficient of the glass by 2.9 %, and the addition of 1 mol% Pr6O11 increased it by 29.8 %. The addition of 0.25 mol% Pr6O11 increased the fast neutron removal cross section of the glass by 4.4 %. Also, it is observed that the glass with 1 mol% Pr6O11 is the best shielding material against alpha and proton particles. A significant enhancement of 24.36 % in the fracture toughness value was observed, increasing from 1.059 to 1.317 MPa m1/2 at 1 mol% Pr6O11. Experimental hardness values increased from 3.374 to 3.985 GPa, resulting in an improvement of 18.11 % at 1 mol% Pr6O11. The thermal stability (ΔT, °C) value demonstrated a notable increase from 85 to 106, indicating a significant 24.7 % improvement at 0.25 mol% Pr6O11.