Abstract
We present a comprehensive study on the transformation of municipal slug wastes into glass samples with exceptional gamma-ray attenuation capabilities that may be used in medical and industrial radiation applications to the benefit of society. The whole process is performed using an adsorbent developed by loading iron oxide and TiO2 on municipal solid waste melted slag. The loading is carried out through chemical reactions and high-temperature process. The oxidation of arsenite with a concentration of 100 mg L−1 is completed in 3 h. Next, the glass synthesis process is performed using well-known melt-quenching method. Structural, optical, and gamma-ray attenuation properties are determined using experimental and theoretical methods. Our findings showed that a wide hump centered at 2θ= 30° with no indication of any precise peaks emerging in the crystalline phases and glasses under investigation have amorphous natures. Using several well-known radioisotope energies, the half-value layers of slow waste glasses are determined. The 11-G sample demonstrated the greatest gamma-ray attenuation characteristics among the manufactured glass samples. The 11-G sample's half layer values are then compared to those of comparable glass, concrete, and polymer shields available in the literature. The results demonstrated that 11-G is clearly better than the other shield types. It can be concluded that some other novel materials with superior shielding properties may be manufactured using more thoroughly separating techniques in terms of determining the best conditions for this type of superior materials. It can be also concluded that some other characterization phases may be conducted in terms of identifying the undiscovered properties of the current samples towards better understanding of slug-waste based glasses and their potential applications.
•A transformation process of municipal slug wastes into glass samples is conducted.•Ten different slug waste powders are recycled to ten novel glasses.•Structural, optical, and gamma-ray attenuation properties are determined.•Half layer values are compared to glass, concrete, and polymer shields.•11-G sample is reported with superior properties.