La2O3 addition's effect on sodium-barium borosilicate glasses' radiation shielding capability: WinXCOM and EGS4 Monte Carlo analysis

This study thoroughly investigated the impact of La2O₃ inclusion on the radiation shielding effectiveness of sodium-barium borosilicate glasses using EGS4 Monte Carlo simulations and WinXCOM computations. The gamma-ray shielding behavior of a set of glass samples was systematically investigated over a wide photon energy interval ranging from 50 to 2506 keV. The glass compositions were modified through the stepwise substitution of Na₂O with La₂O₃. Key radiation interaction and shielding metrics—including the mass attenuation coefficient (μ/ρ), half-value layer (HVL), mean free path (MFP), radiation protection efficiency (RPE), effective atomic number (Zeff), and kerma coefficients—were determined and comparatively evaluated. The results demonstrate that the progressive incorporation of La₂O₃ leads to a marked enhancement in radiation shielding performance, particularly within the low-and intermediate-photon energy ranges where photoelectric interactions prevail. The inclusion of La₂O₃ results in increased material density, μ/ρ, Zeff, and kerma values, while simultaneously reducing (HVL) and MFP.In conclusion, sodium-barium borosilicate glasses treated with La₂O₃ have better radiation attenuation capacities than their La₂O₃-free counterparts. These results validate the effectiveness of La₂O₃ substitution as an approach for customizing borosilicate glass systems for applications that need improved radiation shielding.