Effect of gamma ray irradiation on sodium borate single crystals

• Sodium borate hydrate single crystals were grown by solution growth technique.The grown crystals were irradiated with gamma ray of 5 kGy, 10 kGy and 20 kGy doses.
• Gamma ray effects were analysed with structural, optical and dielectric studies.
• Electron paramagnetic resonance spectra due to O2− radicals has been observed.
• Gamma ray irradiated sodium borate crystals produced thermoluminescence glow peaks.

In this work, the effects of 5 kGy, 10 kGy and 20 kGy doses of gamma ray irradiation on sodium borate, Na2[B4O5(OH)4]·(H2O)8 single crystals have been studied. Initially these crystals were grown by solution growth technique and identified as monoclinic using X-ray diffraction analysis. X-ray rocking curves confirm the formation of crystalline defects due to gamma rays in sodium borate single crystals. The electron paramagnetic resonance spectra have been recorded to identify the radicals created due to gamma ray irradiation in sodium borate single crystals. The thermoluminescence glow curves due to the defects created by gamma rays in this crystal have been observed and their kinetic parameters were calculated using Chen's peak shape method. The optical absorption increases and photoluminescence spectral intensity decreases for 5 kGy and 20 kGy doses gamma ray irradiated crystals compared to pristine and 10 kGy dose irradiated one. The effect of various doses of gamma rays on vibrational modes of the sodium borate single crystals was studied using FT-Raman and ATR-FTIR spectral analysis. The dielectric permittivity, conductance and dielectric loss versus frequency graphs of these crystals have been analyzed to know the effect of gamma ray irradiation on these parameters.