The present study aims at examining the low-energy radiation shielding properties of a Bi2O3- and ZnO-doped borosilicate [(61-x) B2O3–10ZnO–10BaO–5TiO2-(14+x) Bi2O3; x = 4, 8, 12, and 16 mol%] glass system. The mechanical characteristics of the produced glasses were evaluated using the Makishima–Mackenzie theory. The study shows that substituting part of B2O3 with Bi2O3 reduces the microhardness and mechanical moduli of the glasses.

Additionally, radiation shielding factors were determined to investigate the relationship between Bi2O3 and B2O3 content and the glasses' low-energy gamma-ray shielding performance, as well as the influence of the radiation source energy on the glass properties. The results demonstrated a positive correlation between increasing Bi2O3 concentration and the linear attenuation coefficients (LAC) of the glasses.

The glass sample containing 18 mol% Bi2O3 led to the lowest LAC values, whereas the sample with 30 mol% Bi2O3 led to the highest. Furthermore, the mean free path (MFP) of the glasses was compared to that of commercial glasses to assess their effectiveness in low-energy radiation protection. The glass with the highest Bi2O3 content had the lowest MFP and thus provided better protection than some commercial alternatives.