Article Title: Assessment of the Impact of Dysprosium Ion Doped Magnesium Sulfoborate Glass System on Gamma Radiation Shielding Parameters
Volume Number: 1
Issue: 1
Year: 2025
Article Type: Original Article
Author Names: M Abubakar and I Ahmad
Page Number: 28-36
PDF: [Download]
DOI: https://doi.org/10.64368/ejeti.vol.1.issue1.3
Affiliations:
¹Department of Physics, Faculty of Physical Sciences, Bayero University Kano, Nigeria
*Correspondence: Dr. M Abubakar, Department of Physics, Faculty of Physical Sciences, Bayero University Kano, Nigeria; Email Address: abubakaryung@gmail.com
Keywords: Sulfoborate Glass; Gamma Radiation; Shielding; Phy-X/PSD; Attenuation Coefficients
Abstract: Lead-based materials have traditionally served as the primary gamma radiation shielding agents. However, their environmental toxicity and health hazards necessitate the development of safer alternatives. This study evaluates the gamma radiation attenuation properties of dysprosium oxide (Dy₂O₃) doped magnesium sulfoborate glass systems. Using Phy-X/PSD and XCOM software, simulations were carried out for four compositions: A1 (3 wt% Dy₂O₃), A2 (5 wt%), A3 (7 wt%), and A4 (9 wt%) over photon energies ranging from 0.015 MeV to 15 MeV. Key shielding parameters including Mass Attenuation Coefficient (MAC), Linear Attenuation Coefficient (LAC), Half-Value Layer (HVL), Mean Free Path (MFP), and Effective Atomic Number (Zeff) were calculated and compared. Results revealed that sample A4 exhibited the highest shielding performance at low photon energies, with a MAC of 0.173 cm²/g, HVL of 3.85 cm, MFP of 5.75 cm, and Zeff of 12.18 at 0.1 MeV. Attenuation coefficients for all samples decreased sharply up to 3 MeV and plateaued at higher energies due to the dominance of Compton scattering and pair production. The close agreement between Phy-X/PSD and XCOM results validates the simulations. This research supports the potential of Dy-doped glass systems as eco-friendly radiation shielding materials for medical, industrial, and nuclear applications.
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