Evaluation of Gamma-Ray Exposure Buildup Factors and Neutron Shielding for Samarium Doped Magnesium Sulfoborate Glasses

This work investigates the gamma and neutron shielding performance of sulfoborate glasses with glass composition (10MgO + 40SO₃ + (50–y)B₂O₃ + ySm₂O₃; 0.1 ≤ y ≤ 1.0 mol%). Radiation shielding parameters were computed using Phy-X/PSD across photon energies from 0.015 to 15 MeV and penetration depths up to 40 mfp. The Geometric Progression G–P five-parameter method was employed to calculate exposure buildup factors (EBF), and their dependence on photon energy and penetration depth was examined. The fast neutron removal cross-section (ΣR) was used to assess neutron attenuation capability. The results indicated enhanced EBF values at intermediate photon energies for all compositions, a region where Compton scattering is dominant. The glass containing 1 mol% Sm₂O₃ exhibited the best gamma shielding due to an elevated Zeff and lower EBF. ΣR decreased with increasing Sm₂O₃ concentration, reaching a maximum of 0.126 cm⁻¹ for MBS-1 and a minimum of 0.090 cm⁻¹ for MBS-5. These findings suggest that the prepared glass systems are effective candidates for combined gamma-ray and fast neutron shielding applications.