Effect of La2O3 on the optical, thermal, structural and radiation shielding properties of TeO2–ZnO–BaO glasses

Abstract

Abstract Influence of lanthanum oxide (La2O3) on various properties of melt quenched zinc barium tellurite glasses (TeO2–BaO–ZnO) have been investigated. Lanthanum was limited to 10 mol% beyond which the glass formation ability was affected leading to crystallization in the proposed tie-line. Glass transition temperature improved with lanthanum oxide incorporation, while the density and energy band gap values showed a minimum at 5 mol%. The observed variation with lanthanum oxide doping was clearly elucidated from Raman spectral data, which indicated their influence in modifying the host ternary glass network. Radiation shielding parameter calculations showed a larger mass and linear attenuation coefficients for glasses doped with 10 mol% lanthanum oxide, indicating the influence of heavier oxides in improving the shielding properties and consequently acting as replacement candidate for toxic lead-based compounds.