Properties of CeO2-Al2O3-SiO2 glasses prepared in an atmosphere of nitrogen

Properties of (20-30) mol% CeO2-(16-23) mol% Al2O3-(47-62) mol% SiO2 glasses prepared in an atmosphere of N-2 have been investigated. Experimental results showed that the glass transformation temperature, dilatometric softening temperature and transmittance in the visible region decrease with increasing ceria content; and that the thermal expansion coefficient and microhardness increase with increasing ceria content. The cerous ions in cerium aluminosilicate glasses exhibited a broad fluorescence spectrum with a large Stoke shift at 450 nm from the excitation spectrum peak of 366 nm. The fluorescence peaks shifted to the shorter wavelength but cutoff wavelength of ultraviolet spectra shifted to the longer wavelength as cerium aluminosilicate glasses were prepared in air instead of in N-2 for the specimen of the same composition.