Thermal and microstructural investigations of oxyfluoride lead germanate glasses

Abstract

AbstractIn this study, thermal behaviour and microstructural characterization of germanium rich GeO2–PbF2 binary glass system were investigated. The studies were conducted for 10, 20 and 30 mol% PbF2 contents. The thermal behaviour of oxyfluoride lead germanate glasses was studied using differential thermal analysis (DTA) at the heating rate of 10 °C/min, in air flow. Effects of different heating rates and PbF2 content were investigated on the glass transition, crystallization and melting temperatures. The structural investigations of as‐cast and annealed samples which are heat‐treated above crystallization peak temperatures were conducted using X‐ray diffractometry (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Utilizing these techniques, α‐GeO2, α‐PbGe4O9, γ‐PbGe4O9, PbGeO3 and Pb3GeO5 phases were identified. (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)