New glass compositions in the system 1-x(SbPO4-ZnO-PbO)-xMnO (with 0 ≤ x ≤ 20 in mol%) were prepared by melt-quenching methodology. Thermal, structural and optical properties of the new glasses were systematically studied by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), UV-Vis and Raman spectroscopy, fluorescence and electronic paramagnetic resonance (EPR). The addition of MnO increases the thermal stability of the glasses with Tx – Tg close to 140 ºC for higher Mn contents. EPR measurements show that Mn2+ ions are in octahedral arrangement which is in agreement with UV-Vis and luminescence results. Samples present red luminescence when excited with 408 nm source.
Keywords:
antimony glasses; manganese; luminescence; structure