Fabrication of Optically Transparent Short‐Fiber‐Reinforced Glass Matrix Composites

Optically transparent chopped oxynitride glass (SiAlCaON) fiber‐reinforced glass matrix composites have been fabricated by hot‐pressing. Four kinds of glass matrices were candidates in this study. The optical transmission properties of the composites were obtained in UV‐visible and IR wavelength ranges. With selection of the optimal glass matrix and an appropriate processing procedure, an optically transparent glass matrix composite can be obtained. Within the framework of this study, the optical transmittance was strongly dependent on the optical transmittance of the hot‐pressed glass matrix. The well‐fabricated composite with a fiber volume fraction of 0.07 showed measured optical transmittance of 35%–50% in the UV‐visible wavelength region and 80% in the IR wavelength region.