Characterization of new quaternary Ge20Se60Sb20 − xAgx (0 ≤ x ≤ 20 at.%) glasses

The present paper reports the effect of replacement of antimony by silver on the physical parameters of new quaternary Ge20Se60Sb20 − xAgx (where x = 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 at.%) glasses. The average coordination number and the glass transition temperature decrease while the density, the compactness, the average heat of atomization, the cohesive energy and the overall mean bond energy increase with increasing Ag content. The overall mean bond energy increases from 59.20 to 60.99 kcal/mol with an increase of the Ag content from 0 to 20 at.%. The increasing cohesive energy with an increase of the Ag content has been interpreted according to the chemical bond approach. The observed dependence of the physical parameters on composition for the Ge20Se60Sb20 − xAgx (where x = 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 at.%) glasses can be explained on the basis of a chemically ordered network arrangement.