Studies on synthesis and properties of zinc doped cesium iron phosphate glasses

The effect of doping of zinc oxide on the structural and thermal properties of cesium loaded iron phosphate glass has been studied. The composition of glasses prepared for the present study is xZnO-20Cs(2)O-(32-0.4x) Fe2O3-(48-0.6x) P2O5 with x = 0-15 (mol%) wherein Fe/P ratio remains 0.67. Glasses were synthesized using conventional melt quenching technique and were characterized by XRD, DTA, Raman and FTIR spectroscopy. All the glasses showed X-ray amorphous except x = 15 mol% ZnO. Chemical durability of the glasses was studied by PCT-B. The addition of cesium in pristine IPG decreased the thermal stability. Doping of 2.5 mol% ZnO marginally increased the thermal stability and chemical durability compared to 20 mol% Cs loaded IPG. Further addition of ZnO in cesium loaded IPG resulted in slow depolymerization of pyrophosphate network. All the glasses exhibited a low Cs leach rate in the order of 10(-6) g/cm(2).day.