The influence of titanium ions on crystallization, morphological, and structural properties of strontium borate glass

• SrO-3B2O3 crystalline phase is formed through all samples.
• TiO2 tends to increase the pores in strontium borate glass-ceramics.
• Phase separation is detected in the SrO-B2O3-xTiO2 glass-ceramics.
• Good thermal stability is detected at titanium ration 10%.
• Strontioborite crystalline phase is created due to the existence of HOH molecules.

Strontium borate glasses containing different ratios of TiO2 were prepared. Thermal expansion measurements indicate variable and peculiar data in relation to the role of TiO2 in host SrO-B2O3 acting as both network former and modifier. The prepared glasses were nucleated around 500 °C except the base glass at 520 °C. X-ray diffraction measurements show the formation of strontium triborate as the main phase through all samples. The morphological surface of the glass-ceramics is strongly affected by the TiO2 ratio and the phase separation in such glasses was observed. Infrared absorption analyses indicate the presence of both triangular and tetrahedral borate groups. Moreover, it shows the formation of B-O-Ti linkage which affected by both of the Ti content and the heat treatment regime. The infrared absorption spectra for the glass-ceramic samples show the resolving band from 1200 to 1600 cm− 1 into several peaks as the result of the action between the titanium ions and BO3 units.