Investigation of gallium and tin on IG5 commercial chalcogenide glass and glass ceramics

Abstract

In this research, optical, mechanical, and thermal properties of chalcogenide glasses in a Se-Ge-Sb system were studied with 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 % Gallium and tin. Glass samples melted at 850 °C for 20 h were quenched in the melted salt. XRD analyses were performed for them. The properties of this ternary system compared in presence of two different additive. The aim of this study was to improve the mechanical properties of the Se60Sb12Ge28 chalcogenide glass (IG5) with the thermal treatment and prepare glass ceramics with high strength and IR transmittance. The glasses exhibited about 70 % IR-transmission around 2–17 µm with the weakest peaks. The hardness of these pure glasses increased by adding the Gallium and improvement of the melting conditions and quenching so that it reached ∼ 230–345 Kg.mm2. This high hardness was firstly reported for chalcogenide glasses. Appropriate temperature and time were selected to precipitate sub-micron nanocrystals and prepare ceramic glasses, heat treatment was also performed. The size and distribution of nanocrystals in the glass ceramic microstructure was investigated by Fe-SEM and TEM. The hardness of this ceramic glass reached to ∼ 280–370 MPa by precipitation of nanocrystals with diameter of 100–400 nm.