Structure and viscosity of soda lime silicate glasses with varying Gd2O3 content

• Properties and structure of silicate glass with Gd2O3 were investigated.
• Doping Gd2O3 decreases the viscosity and melting temperature of silicate glass.
• IR shows doping Gd2O3 broadens the distribution of Qn units.
• NBO fraction and Qn conversion were also investigated by Raman spectra.

In order to reveal the influence of variation of Gd2O3 amounts (0.00, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 1.00 mol%) on the viscosity at high temperature and melting temperature of soda lime silicate glass, the structure of soda lime silicate glasses doped with different content of Gd2O3 were investigated with Fourier transform infrared spectrometer using the KBr disc method and INVIA confocal microRaman spectrometer. The effect of variation of Gd2O3 content on the structure of soda–lime–silicate glass was characterized by the shift of peak position and change of the full width at half maximum in 950–1200 cm−1 of FTIR absorption curve, and conversion of the [SiO4] tetrahedron structural unit Qn, fraction of non-bridging oxygen and the average number of bridging corners per tetrahedron in Raman spectra. The effect of doping different content of Gd2O3 into glass on the viscosity and melting temperature was interpreted by changing in structure of soda–lime–silicate glasses.

Dependence of NBOs and bridges per tetrahedron of glasses on the content of Gd2O3.Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide