Electron beam irradiation on lead fluoroborate glasses doped by europium ions: Thermal, structural and mechanical investigations

We report here the effects of high-energy electron beam (energy: 7.5 MeV, dose: 150 kGy) over thermal, structural and mechanical nature of Eu³⁺-doped lead fluoroborate quaternary glasses built using melt–mold technique. Glass transformation temperatures [glass transition (T_g), onset of crystallization (T_x), crystallization (T_c) and melting temperature (T_m)] through differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), density (ρ), molar volume (V_m), Vickers microhardness (H) and different elastic constants [Young’s modulus (E), bulk modulus (K), shear modulus (G) and Poisson’s ratio (µ)] were analyzed to study the thermal and mechanical effects on amorphized borate glasses and check its reaction on stability and vitreous network of the glass samples. The constants of elasticity were calculated in terms of Makishima–Mackenzie model. We observed that the glass matrix showed a compact network from 0 to 0.5 mol% and then from 1.0 to 2.5 mol% the structure loosened. On the basis of the different atomic changes upon doping and irradiation, it is proved that the present glass system is stable till 300 °C and could be utilized in building optoelectronics devices. These dependencies are the consequences of various precursors (preparation environment, irradiation effect, heating during DSC) inherited in the glassy structure.