Effects of gamma irradiation on optical and structural properties of PbO–Bi2O3–B2O3 glasses

Optical and structural properties of xPbO·2xBi2O3(1−3x)B2O3 glasses of different composition have been studied using UV-VIS and FTIR spectroscopic techniques. Effects of gamma radiations on glass network and structural units have been studied by irradiating glass samples with a 60Co radioisotope to the overall dose of 2.5 kGy. It is shown that irradiation causes compaction of the borate network by breaking the bonds between trigonal elements, which leads to a decrease in the optical band gap energy. Changes in the atomic structure before and after the irradiation are observed and explained.