Effect of Sm₂O₃ on structural and thermal properties of zinc fluoroborate glasses

Abstract Glasses based on Sm³⁺ doped zinc fluoroborate were synthesized and characterized. Formations of glasses were investigated in the 30ZnF₂-20TeO₂-(50-x)B₂O₃-xSm₂O₃ matrix. Fast quenching and adequate heat treatment are required to prevent melt crystallization and to diminish thermal stress, which result in an efficient amorphous material. The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were employed to record, calculate, measure and analyze the stability, density and refractive index of the glass samples with different concentrations of Sm³⁺ ranging between 0 to 2.5% (mass fraction). XPS result shows the values of core-level binding energy (Zn 3s, Sm 4d, Te 3d, B 1s, O 1s and F 1s) of (ZnF₂-TeO₂-B₂O₃-Sm₂O₃) glass matrix and indicates the good fusibility of the present glass samples. Density of the glass samples increases as dopant concentration increases and glass transition temperature t_g ranges between 395 °C and 420 °C.