Thermomechanical characteristics of arsenic-sulphide glasses doped with bismuth

Abstract

Characterization of amorphous materials in terms of mechanical and thermomechanical properties affects significantly the range of their application. In that sense, in the process of thermomechanical examinations of glasses of the Bix(As2S3)100-x system, the temperatures of the following processes have been detected: the beginning of brittleness disappearance, glass transition temperature Tg, boundary between visco-plastic and liquid phases, and the beginning of the full glass liquidity. Moreover, using dilatometric analysis, we determined thermal coefficients of expansion of solid phase and visco-plastic phase. Microhardness of the examined glasses was determined by Vicker's method, with progressive increase of the load. Based on the model of elastic/plastic deformation, the correction of experimental values was made. Morphology of the mechanically treated surfaces was investigated using scanning electron microscopy. The results of measurements were discussed and analyzed in the context of the influence of the composition complexity on the values of given parameters.