Design and Characterization of Ilmenite-Enriched Borate Glasses for Advanced Gamma and Fast Neutron Shielding Applications

Abstract

In this work, a novel series of lithium tetraborate (Li2B4O7) glasses doped with ilmenite (FeTiO3) at 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 wt% were synthesized using the melt-quenching technique. The samples were coded as I0 (undoped), I5, I10, I15, and I20 according to their ilmenite content. X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed their amorphous structure, while density increased systematically from 2.263 g/cm(3) (undoped) to 2.418 g/cm(3) for the 20 wt% ilmenite glass (I20). Gamma-ray attenuation was studied using a 3 Ci Ba-133 source and Ultra Ge detector over 81-383 keV. At 81 keV, the linear attenuation coefficient rose from 0.382 cm(-1) (I0) to 0.494 cm(-1) (I20), representing a similar to 29 % improvement. Similarly, the half-value layer decreased from 3.135 cm to 2.783 cm at 383 keV, while the effective atomic number increased from 7.4 to 8.2 at low energies. Buildup factors (EABF and EBF) also showed up to 30 % lower values in I20 at 15 mean free paths, indicating reduced secondary photon generation. Neutron attenuation tests with a 10 mCi Am-Be source and BF3 detector revealed a slight decrease in Sigma(R) (0.1096-0.1057 cm(-1)), but the absorbed dose rate improved from 26.99 % to 29.21 % upon ilmenite addition. Overall, the incorporation of ilmenite enhanced both photon and neutron shielding without compromising structural integrity, confirming that these glasses are promising materials for advanced radiation shielding in nuclear, medical, and aerospace applications.