Preparation and Properties of Silver Borate Glasses

Silver borate Basses containing 0 to 30 mol% Ag 2 O were formed. Properties measured include density, thermal expansion coefficient, glass transformation and dilatometric softening temperatures, transformation‐range viscosity, dc electrical conductivity, and helium permeability and diffusivity. Optical spectroscopy revealed that the color of these glasses results from absorption bands at ∼407, ∼310, and ∼250 nm. Each band increased in intensity as the silver oxide content of the glass was increased. The properties of these glasses were consistent with the structural model currently used to describe the structure of alkali borate glasses. No evidence for the existence of phase separation was found for the conditions of the present study.