Lead- and Bismuth-Borate Fly-Ash Glasses as Gamma-Ray-Shielding Materials

Values of the gamma-ray mass attenuation coefficient for fly-ash glasses in the system: xBi₂O₃-0.2B₂O₃-yFly Ash and xPbO-0.2B₂O₃-yFly Ash (x = 0.70, 0.65, 0.60, 0.55, 0.50, 0.45, 0.40 and y = 0.10, 0.15, 0.20, 0.25, 0.30, 0.35, 0.40) have been determined experimentally at 81-, 356-, 511-, 662-, 1173-, and 1332-keV photon energies using a narrow-beam transmission method. These coefficients of glasses are then used to determine their interaction cross sections, the photon mean free path, effective atomic numbers, and the electron densities. Results have indicated that these fly-ash glasses have potential applications in low-energy gamma-ray shielding.