Authors: Khalid Hasan Tantawi Emmanuel Waddel John D Williams
Publish Date: 2013/03/26
Volume: 48, Issue: 15, Pages: 5316-5323
Abstract
Little is known about photostructurable glasses when compared to quartz and the other glass families This article investigates optical and thermal behavior of the two commercially produced Apex™ and Foturan™ photosensitive glasses in relation to their composition A composition analysis is performed on the two glasses using Rutherford backscattering spectrometry and UV spectroscopy Cerium and silver were found to exist at higher concentrations in Foturan than in Apex glass Difference in transmission in the 240–340 nm window is mainly attributed to the different concentrations of cerium and silver in the glasses Infrared transmission in the range of 27–50 μm is improved following an annealing process Structural stability over a different range of temperatures in the two photosensitive glasses is investigated and is attributed to the silica content at the expense of lithium oxide Raman spectroscopy shows that the UVexposedthenbaked photosensitive glass results in the formation of a uniform crystallinephase lithium metasilicate with a preponderantly Q2 speciesThe authors would like to thank Dr Charles Lukehart at Vanderbilt University for allowing us to use the XRD equipment at his lab We are also indebted to Dr Claudiu Muntele at Alabama AM University for running the Rutherford Backscattering experiment and Mr Greg Blubaugh at MettlerToledo Inc for running the Differential Scanning Calorimetry for our use This research was sponsored by the Albama Graduate Research Scholars Program GRSP and supported by the Office of the Vice President for Research in UAHuntsville
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