In this study, the structural, optical, and radiation shielding characteristics of a PVA/PVP blend loaded with varying ratios (0%, 1%, 2%, and 3 wt%) of Cr2O3 nanoparticles (NPs) are studied. This research is driven by the increasing demand for lightweight, flexible, and transparent shielding materials as alternatives to traditional, heavy, and hazardous substances such as lead. This study’s novelty arises in establishing a thorough correlation between the microstructural modifications induced by Cr2O3 NPs and their subsequent optical and theoretically assessed radiation shielding features. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of the produced Cr2O3 NPs revealed a crystallite size of 42 nm. The optical band gap value of the PVA/PVP mix was 3.51 eV, which decreased to 1.97 eV with the incorporation of 3% wt. of Cr2O3 NPs. The PVA/PVP mix shows an Urbach energy value of 1.42 eV, which incrementally increases to 3.98 eV when the concentration of Cr2O3 NPs in the PVA/PVP blend escalates from 0 to 3% by weight. The impact of Cr2O3 NPs concentration on the radiation shielding characteristics of PVA/PVP/Cr2O3 nanocomposites has been theoretically assessed using the Phy-X tool and the XCOM database. The HVL value varied from 0.475 cm to 29.137 cm for PVA/PVP at 0.015 MeV and 15 MeV, respectively. At the same time, the HVL value ranged from 0.259 cm to 28.161 cm for the PVA/PVP/3%Cr2O3 nanocomposites at 0.015 MeV and 15 MeV, respectively. The exposure buildup factor (EBF) of PVA/PVP/Cr2O3 nanocomposites has been analyzed as a function of photon energy. Furthermore, the equivalent atomic number (Zeq) values for PVA/PVP/Cr2O3 nanocomposites have been studied. The optical features and radiation shielding performance of PVA/PVP/Cr2O3 nanocomposites make them suitable for radiation shielding applications.
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