Computational Evaluation of CeO₂-Modified Tungsten Borate Glasses as Lead-Free Gamma-Ray Shielding Materials
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Lead-free glasses are continuously developed as safer and more flexible alternatives to conventional radiation shielding materials such as lead and concrete. This study computationally evaluated four CeO2-modified tungsten borate glass samples with the base composition xCeO2–(55–x)B2O3–35WO3–5MgO–5CaO (x = 0, 5, 10, 15 mol%), labeled CeB1–CeB4. The glass density increased almost linearly from 4.39 g·cm-3 (CeB1) to 4.50 g·cm-3 (CeB4) with increasing CeO2 fraction. Radiation shielding parameters, including the mass attenuation coefficient (MAC), linear attenuation coefficient (LAC), half value layer (HVL), tenth value layer (TVL), and mean free path (MFP), were calculated using the XCOM program in the photon energy range of 0.001–15 MeV. CeB4 exhibited the highest shielding performance, particularly at low photon energies, with a markedly higher MAC than CeB1. At intermediate energy (0.5 MeV), CeB4 maintained its superiority by providing the lowest HVL, TVL, and MFP among all samples. These results indicate that CeO2 addition enhances both density and attenuation efficiency, enabling the design of thinner and more effective glass shields. Therefore, CeO2-modified tungsten borate glasses, especially CeB4, can be considered promising environmentally friendly candidates for lead-free radiation shielding applications. Keywords: CeO2; WO3; tungsten borate glass; Lead-free glass materials; Gamma-ray shielding
Institution: Diponegoro University
Language: English
Subfield: Materials Chemistry
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7166321585