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The chemical resistance of glasses based on the PbCl2–PbO–B2O3–NdF3 system was studied. Oxochloride lead-borate glasses demonstrated satisfactory water resistance and alkali resistance, while low acid resistance. Bulk glass samples were exposed to the tropical climate of Southeast Asia for a year. The spectral-luminescent characteristics of neodymium ions in these matrices maintain good stability in a tropical climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PbCl2–PbO–SiO2 glasses doped with Nd3+ ions were studied. The photoluminescence intensity, absorption, microhardness, refractive index, and characteristic temperatures of the glasses were measured experimentally. Amorphous structure of the investigated samples was proved by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX) confirmed the incorporation of lead chloride into the glasses. PbCl2 additions cause decreases in the glass transition, crystallization, and melting temperatures of the lead silicate glasses due to the formation of new structural and chemical units and to significant changes in the glass network. A decrease in microhardness is a consequence of the structural changes. The glasses have high refractive indices in the range of 1.78 to 2.09. The spectral-luminescent properties of the neodymium ions in the PbCl2-PbO-SiO2 glasses were investigated in detail for the first time. The absorption spectra show typical Nd3+ absorption bands in the visible and infrared spectral regions. The short-wave absorption band lies in the range of 350–380 nm, being shifted to the ultraviolet region by 40 nm relative to the binary PbO-SiO2 glasses. The synthesized glasses exhibit intense IR photoluminescence, typical for neodymium. The photoluminescence intensity increases with an increase in the lead chloride proportion in the lead silicate oxochloride glasses. The addition PbCl2 to the lead silicate glasses causes reduction of the maximum phonon energy of the matrix. The decrease in the phonon energy decreases the probability of nonradiative relaxation. The Nd3+ ion occurring in a low-energy environment luminesces more efficiently, since the excitation energy is not dissipated via the thermal vibrations of the matrix. The studied glasses are promising materials for the infrared spectral region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The glass transition zone in the system PbCl2–PbF2–PbO–SiO2 was investigated; glasses, including those activated by neodymium, were obtained. The mechanical, optical, and spectral-luminescence properties of the glasses were investigated. It is shown that replacing fluorine with chlorine shifts the peaks of the luminescence and absorption lines to longer wavelengths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]