Intrinsic Instabilities Of Heavy Metal Fluoride Glasses (HMFG)

Abstract
Heavy metal fluoride glasses (HMFG) are potentially useful as optical components in a wide range of devices. Their utilization has so far been delayed mainly because of insufficient material purity and inadequate processing conditions. However, as the result of numerous research efforts these problems are gradually diminishing and it now seems likely that the ultimate limitations for use of HMFG components, at least in those applications where high optical transparency is not a prerequisite, will be imposed by more intrinsic instabilities of the glasses themselves. These include their strong tendency to crystallize on quenching and subsequent reheating, low mechanical and chemical durability and the possibility that they will undergo significant physical aging in situ. Experimental data relating to these problems have now been obtained and in the light of these we wish to present an assessment of their relative importance.© (1984) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

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