Fluorophosphate glasses containing manganese Original Research Article

New fluorophosphate glasses based on MnF2, NaPO3 and MFn (M=Zn2+, Sr2+, Mg2+, Ba2+, Li+, Na+ and K+) have been synthesised and characterized. Large vitreous areas were observed. Samples of 4 mm in thickness have been obtained. These glasses are easy to prepare and stable in ambient air. Depending on the composition and the nature of the M cation, glass transition temperature, Tg, lies between 230 and 314 °C, crystallisation temperature, Tx is between 320 and 475 °C. These glasses are pink coloured, and infrared transmission extends up to 4.5 μm with extrinsic OH− absorption band at 3200 cm−1 and other bands around 2200 and 1600 cm−1 that relate to PO4 tetrahedron vibration. Other physical properties including density, microhardness, Young modulus, thermal expansion and refractive index were investigated and correlated to composition.