Effect of dehydroxylation on the structure and properties of ZnCl2–ZnO–P2O5 glasses

The hydroxyl content in phosphate glass has a significant influence on its properties. This research investigated the effect of dehydroxylation on the structure and properties of ZnCl2–ZnO–P2O5 glasses. The substitution of ZnCl2 for ZnO reduces the hydroxyl content and increases the phosphate chain length thus improving the chemical durability and UV transmittance of the glass. The structural changes with the glass composition were gauged by FTIR and 31P MAS-NMR spectroscopies. The FTIR and 31P MAS-NMR spectra indicated that the Q2 structural units increase with increasing ZnCl2 content in the xZnCl2–(50 − x)ZnO–50P2O5 glass system.