NMR study of rare earth doped boron-alumino-silicate glasses

The characteristics of glass structure and some factors such as the component, the heat-treated conditions that affected the glass structure were studied, based on the research of the Sm₂O₃ doped BaO-B₂O₃ -Al₂O₃ -SiO₂-Sm₂O₃ (BBASS) system glasses' forming performances, using MAS NMR spectroscopy and differential thermal analysis (DTA) testing technology. It was found that, in the structure of the BBAS glass without rare earth doped, the boron coordination were mainly of [BO₃] and [BO₄], the aluminum coordination were [AlO₄], [AlO₅] and [AlO₆]. With the content of the BaO increasing in the BBAS glass, [BO₃] graduated to [BO₄], and the [AlO₅] and [AlO₆] changed to [AlO₄] gradually. Sm³⁺ could accumulate the boron network because of its high field strength, forming a large network structure. Heat-treatment had little or none effect on the boron and aluminum coordination in the glass structure.