Effect of Cerium, Neodymium Ions Doping on Microstructure and Optical Properties of Li₂O-Al₂O₃-SiO₂ Glass-Ceramics

Li2O-Al2O3-SiO2 (LAS) glass-ceramics doped with CeO2 and Nd2O3 were prepared by the melting-crystallization technique. The effects of Ce4+, Nd3+ doping on the crystallization behavior, structure and optical properties of the LAS glass-ceramics were studied by differential thermal analysis tester, X-ray diffractometer, scanning electron microscopy and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, etc. The results show that the activation energy of crystallization process and the crystallization temperature were increased significantly by doping rare earth, and the transformation of solid solution from β-quartz into β-spodumene was suppressed. The ultraviolet absorption peak of the doped glass after crystallization were red-shifted, the grains were refined and the transmittance of glass-ceramics was reduced, and the color of glass-ceramics was changed due to the energy-level transitions of rare earth ions.