Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Natural Alteration of 6Li Neutron Shielding Glass

Published

Author(s)

Jamie L. Weaver, Danyal J. Turkoglu

Abstract

Li-6 alumino-silicate glass, a neutron shielding material, has been studied to determine if and to what extent it alters under natural conditions. Analyses included neutron depth profiling, prompt gamma activation analysis, x-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy. Results indicate that the glass does undergo alteration, which results in Li-6 depletion within the first 10's of um of the glass's surface. Subsequent studies suggest that alteration is relatively quick, with the first 20 um of the surface altering after only 2 months of exposure to a natural environment. Although the extent of alteration is relatively small compared to the overall thickness of the shielding glass, thus not significantly effecting its shielding properties, the incorporation of H into the alteration layer may influence low H measurements by instruments lined with this glass.
Citation
Physics and Chemistry of Glasses

Keywords

Neutron Depth Profiling, Prompt Gamma Activation Analysis, glass, durability, neutrons

Citation

Weaver, J. and Turkoglu, D. (2018), Natural Alteration of 6Li Neutron Shielding Glass, Physics and Chemistry of Glasses, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=925311 (Accessed March 29, 2024)
Created September 21, 2018, Updated November 13, 2018