Eur. Phys. J. Plus (2021) 136: 189
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/s13360-021-01174-9

Regular Article

Synthesis, physical, optical properties, and gamma-ray absorbing competency or capability of PbO–B₂O₃–CaO glasses reinforced with Nd³⁺/Er³⁺ ions

¹ Physics Department, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, 21589, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
² Lithography in Devices Fabrication and Development Research Group, Deanship of Scientific Research, King Abdulaziz University, 21589, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
³ Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Isra University, Amman, Jordan
⁴ Department of Nuclear Medicine Research, Institute for Research and Medical Consultations (IRMC), Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University (IAU), P.O. Box 1982, 31441, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
⁵ Department of Chemistry, University of California at Riverside, 92521, Riverside, CA, USA
⁶ Department of Geophysics and Planetary Science, University of Science and Technology of China of Hefei, 230026, Hefei, Anhui, People’s Republic of China
⁷ National Center for Physics, QAU campus, Shahdra Valley Road, 44000, Islamabad, Pakistan
⁸ Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Menoufia University, 32511, Shebin El Koom, Egypt

^b mabualssayed@ut.edu.sa

Received: 8 December 2020
Accepted: 29 January 2021
Published online: 7 February 2021

Abstract

A series of four glass specimens with the molar percentage formula 20PbO–50B₂O₃–30CaO–xEr₂O₃–yNd₂O₃: (x, y) = (0,0), (0,1), (1,0), and (1,1) mol% were synthesized by the conventional melt quenching process, namely PBC-Nd0Er0, PBC-Nd0Er1, PBC-Nd1Er0, and PBC-Nd1Er1. Structure, physical, optical properties, and gamma-radiation protection efficiency of the synthesized glasses have been investigated. XRD measurements confirmed that the synthesized glasses were in non-crystalline nature. The glasses density was increased from 4.13 to 4.30 g/cm³. The direct optical band gap (OBG) decreases from 3.57 to 3.18 eV, while the indirect (OBG) decreases from 2.90 to 2.75 eV. Refractive index (n) follows the order PBC-Nd1Er1 > PBC-Nd0Er0 > PBC-Nd1Er0 > PBC-Nd0Er1. The PBC-Nd1Er1 glass sample has the highest (E_d = 25 eV), the lowest (E_o = 2 eV), and the highest value of (n_o) equal to 3.67 compared with other glasses. Both of optical and electrical conductivities (σ_optical and σ_electrical) follow the order: PBC-Nd1Er1 > PBC-Nd0Er1 > PBC-Nd1Er0 > PBC-Nd0Er0. The maximum ability for the investigated glasses to block the radiations passing through them occurred at 0.223 meV, and the LAC lies in the range of 1.650 cm⁻¹ for PBC-Nd0Er0 and 1.719 cm⁻¹ for PBC-Nd1Er1. By contrast, the minimum ability took place at 1.458 meV, and at this energy, the LAC lies in the range of 0.216 and 0.224 cm⁻¹. The HVL values show that there is a trend to attenuating potentiality reducing as the energy raises from 0.223 to 1.458 meV. It is shown that the PBC-Nd1Er1 glass sample possesses the superior optical properties and shielding capacity among each of other investigated glasses.