Effect of Bi2O3 on structure and properties of zinc bismuth phosphate glass

Various glasses with different compositions (50-2x)ZnO-xBi 2 O 3 -(50 + x)P 2 O 5 (x = 0-20 mol%) were prepared. This study examined the effect of the structure and properties in phosphate glass system according to the change in Bi 2 O 3 content in ZnO-Bi 2 O 3 -P 2 O 5 glass. The structure of the glasses was analyzed by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) analysis. The FTIR spectra were recorded in the spectral range from 400 to 1400 cm -1 The structural investigations based on these spectra showed the rapid depolymerization of the phosphate chains with increasing Bi 2 O 3 content along with the formation of P-O-Bi bonds. The density, glass transition temperature (T g ), molar volume and optical properties of the glasses were determined from the structural changes in the glasses. T g , density and molar volume increased with increasing in Bi 2 O 3 content in the glass. The optical absorption edge (λ cut-off ) and optical band gap (E g ) were determined from the optical transmittance spectra of the polished samples recorded at room temperature, and found to be associated with structural changes occurring in these glasses with increasing Bi 2 O 3 content.