Effects of Ce₂O₃ on multi-component borovanadate glass structural, optical, and attenuation characteristics

The fast quenching technique has been used to prepare some mixed-alkali-lead borovanadate glasses doped with different amounts of Ce₂O₃ (in grams). The structural, optical, and shielding properties of the prepared samples have been characterized based on the X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetric, UV–vis, and gamma ray measurements. The amorphous nature of all prepared samples was confirmed by the X-ray patterns and differential scanning calorimetric thermograms, which both showed only broad humps, a single glass transition temperature, and two crystallization points for every sample. The glass's transition temperature, micro-hardness, and optical gaps decreased when the Ce₂O₃ content increased, while the glass's thermal stability, bulk density, poisson's ratio, linear susceptibility, nonlinear susceptibility, optical conductivity, electric conductivity, and relaxation time all increased. It is found that the gamma photon and fast neutron shielding properties of borovanadate glass are altered by the addition of Ce₂O₃. Where the increase in Ce₂O₃ content caused a slight increase in the value of the mass attenuation coefficient and a reduction in the MFP value. Finally, the presence of Ce₂O₃ improves the glass's capacity to absorb fast neutrons.