X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, structural, and radiation shielding properties for transparent borosilicate glasses

The current work investigates the impact of SrO content on the structural, physical, and shielding properties of xSrO-10TiO₂–10SiO₂-(65-x) B₂O₃, where (15 ≤ x ≤ 30) glasses. X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and radiation shielding features were utilized to investigate the samples’ features. XRD results affirmed the amorphous behavior. The FTIR values presented many peaks attributed to SiO₂ and B₂O₃. The Sr30B50 sample (3.048 g/cm³) showed the highest density, followed by Sr25B55 (2.936 g/cm³), Sr20B60 (2.720 g/cm³) and Sr15B65 (2.679 g/cm³). The XPS analysis of Ti 2p core level spectra reveals that Ti ions exist in both Ti⁴⁺ and Ti³⁺ oxidation states, with the content of Ti⁴⁺ increasing with the SrO ratio in the glass sample. The XPS analysis of O 1s core level spectra revealed that the number of non-bridging oxygen atoms is enhanced with an increase in SrO content, indicating the weakening of the glass structure. Furthermore, neutron and photon shielding properties were calculated theoretically using Phy-X software. The gamma shielding properties were enhanced with increasing SrO, while the neutron attenuation was equivalent to water. For example, the fast neutron removal cross-section (FNRCS) values are 0.101, 0.098, 0.102, and 0.101 cm⁻¹ for Sr15B65, Sr20B60, Sr25B55, and Sr30B50, respectively. The findings suggest that the SrO improved radiation shielding properties while decreasing glass stability.