Effect of BaO addition on the structural and mechanical properties of soda lime phosphate glasses

The phosphate glasses of composition (26-x)Na2O-xBaO-29CaO-45P2O5 (x = 0,5,10,15 mol%) are prepared by melt-quenching technique. The variations in structural and mechanical properties are studied on glasses prepared at 1000, 1100 and 1200̊ C. The density of glasses increases with barium content for glasses prepared at different temperatures. The molar volume is nearly constant with compositional parameter. The amorphous nature of samples is confirmed by XRD. The calculated values of mass percentage of elements in the batch composition and EDS data are in a reasonable agreement. The FTIR spectra show that the main structural units in these glasses are Q1 and Q2 phosphate units. The frequency of the POP band remains constant with barium substitution. The microhardness is measured using Vickers indentation method by applying 0.98 N for 10 s. The hardness and fracture toughness are independent of composition. The nature of crack formations is examined by SEM. The brittleness and crack length are correlated with plastic flow in the material.