Role of Sulfur as a Reducing Agent for the Transition Metals Incorporated into Lithium Silicate Glass

Abstract

Li2O·0.25Fe2O3·0.25NiO·1.5SiO2 glass was prepared with and without 5 wt % sulfur (S) while melting the mixture of the starting materials at 1350 °C for 1 h in air. A part of the as-prepared glass was heat treated for 1 h near its crystallization temperature (Tc) as determined from differential thermal analysis. Each glass was also investigated by means of Mössbauer spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, FTIR, and DC conductivity. The Mössbauer spectra showed ionic Fe2+ and Fe3+ species in the glass as well as in the precipitated phase obtained after heat treatment. XRD patterns demonstrated the glassy phase formation in the as-quenched samples irrespective of the presence of sulfur. The heat treated samples showed different precipitated phases containing iron particles of nanometer size. The electric conductivity measurements showed that sulfur-doped samples had high values of (σ) probably because of small polaron hopping between Fe2+ and Fe3+.