Enhancing the electrical conductivity of vanadate glass system (Fe2O3, B2O3, V2O5) via doping with sodium or strontium cations

Novel glass-ceramics of the nominal molar compositions 20Fe(2)O(3)center dot 20B(2)O(3)center dot(60-x)V2O5 center dot (xNa(2)O or xSrO) (where x = 0 or 10) were prepared by traditional melt technique. Differential thermal analysis (DTA) was implemented to study the thermal behavior of the prepared glasses. Vanadium pentoxide (V2O5), iron vanadate (FeVO4), sodium vanadate (Na3VO4) and strontium vanadate (with different formulae) were crystallized and identified by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis under certain conditions of heat-treatment. Further characterization of glass and glass ceramics samples were performed using scanning electron microscope (SEM), density, electrical and dielectric measurements. In conclusion, our study elucidated that the substitution of vanadium by Na+ and Sr2+ ions enhanced the conductivity at 180 degrees C from 5.11 x 10(-4) for unmodified glass to 2.93 x 10(-3) and 1.03 x 10(-2) S cm(-1) for Na- and Sr-modified glasses.