Effect of neutron-irradiation on optical properties of SiO ₂-Na₂O-MgO-Al₂O₃ glasses

Silica based glasses are used as nuclear shielding materials. The effect of radiation on these glasses varies as per the constituents used In these glasses. Glasses of different composition of SiO₂-Na ₂O-MgO-Al₂O₃ were made by melt casting techniques. These glasses were irradiated with neutrons of different fluences. Optical absorption measurements of neutron-irradiated silica based glasses were performed at room temperature (RT) to detect and characterize the induced radiation damage in these materials. The absorption band found for neutron-irradiated glasses are induced by hole type color centers related to non-bridging oxygen ions (NBO) located in different surroundings of glass matrix. Decrease in the transmittance indicates the formation of color-center defects. Values for band gap energy and the width of the energy tail above the mobility gap have been measured before and after irradiation. The band gap energy has been found to decrease with increasing fluence while the Urbach energy shows an increase. The effects of the composition of the glasses on these parameters have been discussed in detail in this paper.