Radiation-Shielding Glasses, Ceramics and Composites
This community develops glass, ceramic, and composite materials designed to attenuate ionizing radiation, with a specific focus on gamma rays and neutrons. The work characterizes the structural, optical, and mechanical properties of these materials to determine their effectiveness as protective barriers in nuclear and medical environments.
The research centers on modifying glass networks—primarily borate, phosphate, tellurite, and borosilicate systems—by doping them with heavy metal oxides such as lead, bismuth, tungsten, and rare-earth ions. A significant portion of the work involves calculating attenuation coefficients using Monte Carlo simulations and molecular dynamics to predict shielding efficiency. Beyond pure glasses, the community investigates glass-ceramics, concrete, and polymer-based composites, evaluating how additives like titanium dioxide, iron oxide, and aluminum oxide influence the material's ability to absorb radiation while maintaining structural integrity.
The largest share of the community's output is found in boron research, accounting for 3.1% of all boron research, and 4,743 papers here. This is followed by phosphorus (1.0% share, 3,491 papers) and zinc (0.9% share, 2,703 papers).
The community comprises 46,506 papers, published predominantly in the Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids, Optical Materials, and Journal of Luminescence.
Recent work continues to explore the interplay between structural evolution and shielding performance in co-doped sodium phosphate glasses and bismuth-doped lithium borosilicate composites. Newer studies also examine dual-function shields for thermal neutrons and gamma rays, as well as the integration of radiation shielding properties with mechanical features in sustainable concrete and 3D-printed polymer composites.