Simulation of radiation shielding properties of glasses contain PbO

Radiation shielding characteristics of lead glass systems: PbO-B2O3, PbO-SiO2, PbO-GeO2 and PbO-WO3-TeO2 have been calculated by simulation. Mass attenuation coefficients of the glass systems are simulated using MCNP5 code in the photon energy ranging from 0.015 to 10 MeV. The simulation results are compared with theoretical XCOM results. It is found that the numerical results using the MCNP5 code are in good agreement with XCOM data. Various shielding parameters such as effective atomic number, mean free path and half value layer were determined using the obtained mass attenuation coefficients and standard formulae. The Half value layer of all glass samples was compared with those of some commercially-available shielding glasses developed by SCHOTT Co. Probability of partial interaction of gamma-ray with glass systems at different energies at intermediate region of gamma energy (662-1229 keV) is computed and reflected that Compton scattering interaction has been dominated interaction contributed to the different total attenuation coefficients in each of glass matrices. Shielding properties of the present glass systems are mainly influenced by the chemical composition as well as the density of the samples. The results showed that increasing the PbO content of all glass systems can improve the radiation shielding properties.