Physical,Phy-X/PSD based radiation shielding and electrical properties of Dy2O3‒doped ZrO2‒PbO‒As2O3Glass system.

Dy2O3‒doped ZrO2‒PbO‒As2O3 glasses were synthesized via the conventional melt-quenching technique to investigate their structural, physical characteristics, Phy-X based radiation shielding, and dielectric properties. X‒ray diffraction confirmed the amorphous nature of all glass compositions, while energy-dispersive spectroscopy verified the successful incorporation of the constituent elements. The incorporation of Dy2O3 resulted in a systematic increase in density from 4.302 to 4.551 g/cm3, accompanied by increase oxygen packing density and a reduction in molar volume and inter-ionic separation, indicating enhanced structural compactness and possible Dy‒O interactions within the glass network. Radiation shielding parameters were evaluated using Phy-X/PSD software over a broad photon-energy range. The glass containing 1.0 mol% Dy2O3 exhibited the best shielding performance, with a linear attenuation coefficient of 377.72 cm-1, an effective atomic number of 43.76, and lower half-value layer and mean free path at 0.015 MeV, demonstrating improved γ-ray attenuation efficiency. The Energy-dependent variations of effective atomic number and electron density followed expected photon-matter interaction mechanisms, including photoelectric absorption, Compton scattering and pair production. Dielectric measurements performed over a wide frequency range revealed an enhanced dielectric constant with Dy2O3 addition up to an optimum concentration within the investigated range, attributed to increased ionic polarizability and network modification. Further, AC conductivity exhibited a typical frequency-dependent increase consistent with a hopping conduction mechanism in disordered oxide systems. The simultaneous enhancement in structural compactness, electronic response and radiation attenuation demonstrates that Dy2O3serves as an effective network modifier in ZrO2‒PbO‒As2O3 glass system, making these glasses promising candidates for radiation shielding and dielectric applications in nuclear and medical fields.