Compositional dependence of density and refractive index in borotellurite glass

Borotellurite glasses with composition (in mol%): 57B₂O₃–20TeO₂–15Bi₂O₃–3TiO₂–(4-x)Na₂O–1Tm₂O₃-xHo₂O₃ (where x = 0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5) have been fabricated and characterized aims at studying their density, molar volume and refractive index. Glasses were fabricated by melt quenching method. Density measurements were carried at room temperature using picnometer while their refractive indices were determined by applying Brewster angle method. It is observed that both density and molar volume tend to increase with increasing Ho³⁺ ions concentration. The density, molar volume as well as refractive index of the reported glass increases from 4.72 to 4.91 g/cm³, 31.80 – 32.18 cm³/mol, 1.4906 to 1.7253, respectively, with increasing holmium oxide (Ho2O3) concentration. Other properties characterized the glasses were also derived, including oxygen packing density, field strength and polaron radius.