gamma-ray shielding capacity of ceramics tb and fe doped with y2zr2o7

In this research, a monte carlo simulation was used to estimate the gamma-ray shielding properties of ceramics doped with tb and fe in y₂zr₂o₇, within the photon energy range of 0.015 to 15 mev. we calculated the linear and mass attenuation coefficients, half-value layer, tenth-value layer, mean free path, effective atomic number, and fast neutron removal cross section. to validate the simulation, the results were compared with data obtained from the phy-x program. it was observed that the data from the phy-x program and the geant 4 simulation tool were in good agreement. the ceramic sample ytf015, due to the addition of terbium, showed a significant increase in densification and microstructural development, leading to improved flexural strength and enhanced protection against fast neutrons and gamma radiation. the results indicate that energy levels significantly affect gamma-ray penetration. furthermore, for the photon energy of 0.511 mev, where the mass attenuation coefficient increased from 0.058 to 0.096 cm²/g, ytf015 demonstrated superior shielding performance against gamma rays compared to other samples. in conclusion, ytf015 ceramics exhibited strong shielding properties, achieving 35% to 55% of the shielding capacity of pure lead element in the intermediate energy range of 0.1 to 2 mev. this shows that the composition and microstructure of ceramic materials can be optimized to improve damping properties for applications in medical physics applications.