Influence of magnesium on physical, structural, and optical properties of calcium zinc borate (CZNBMg) glasses and gamma irradiation effects

A novel glass with the composition B₂O₃–CaO–ZnO–Na₂O-xMgO (x = 0, 0.2, 0.4, and 0.6) was synthesized by the melt-quench technique to investigate the influence of magnesium oxide (MgO) and gamma irradiation on the physical, structural, and optical properties. XRD analysis confirmed the amorphous nature of unirradiated and gamma-irradiated glass samples. The density of the prepared glasses ranged from 2.633 to 2.643 g/cm³, with the highest value observed for CZNBMg2 glass at 2.643 g/cm³ before irradiation, while after irradiation the maximum density of 2.641 g/cm³ was obtained for CZNBMg2 at 10 kGy. FTIR and Raman studies demonstrated the conversion of borate units (BO₃ and BO₄) with increasing MgO concentration and gamma irradiation dose. Optical studies through UV-Vis spectroscopic technique proved the direct energy band gap decreased from 3.465 eV to 3.347 eV with the addition of MgO. However, at irradiation doses of 5 kGy, 10 kGy, and 15 kGy, the band gap values range from 3.691 eV to 3.724 eV for CZNBMg0 and 3.740 eV-3.666 eV for CZNBMg2 glasses. These results highlight the importance of MgO doping and gamma irradiation influence on the physical, structural, and optical properties of borate glasses, suggesting its potential applicability in optical and radiation dosimetry materials.