Raman and Fourier Transform Infrared Spiectroscopy of CnO‐PbO‐SiO2 Glasses

The structures of glasses in the system CuO-PbO-SiO2 have been investigated by Raman and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Glasses of compositions represented by 2xCuO.(1 – x) PbO.(l – x)SiO2 (x = 0 to 0.1) and 3xCuO.(l – x)PbO.2(l – x)SiO2(x=0 to 0.1) may contain up to 2 and 4 mol% CuO, respectively, without significant changes to the silicate network of the copper-free glasses. The incorporation of 10 mol% CuO in these glasses alters the Raman and FTER spectra of the copper-free glasses significantly. The observed changes were attributed to depoly-merization of metasilicate and higher polymerized silicate groupings through the creation of nonbridging Si-O− groups hi the silicate network.