Glass-forming ability, structure and physical properties of ZnO–In₂O₃–P₂O₅ glasses

Glasses in the ternary system ZnO–In₂O₃–P₂O₅ were studied, and the glass-forming region has been determined. Glasses containing up to 20 mol% In₂O₃ were prepared by cooling of the melt in air. The structure and properties of the glasses were primarily studied for the compositional series xZnO.10In₂O₃.(90–x)P₂O₅. The basic characteristic parameters of the glasses (density, molar volume, index of refraction) were determined. Structural studies were carried out using Raman and ³¹P NMR spectroscopies. The methods of differential thermal analysis, hot stage microscopy and dilatometry were also applied for thermal studies. The glass transition temperature of the studied glasses increases with increasing indium oxide content, and decreases with increasing zinc oxide content. ³¹P NMR spectra of the glasses reveal that the replacement of P₂O₅ by ZnO results in the transformation of Q² units into Q¹ units, which is also shown by the Raman spectra.