<p> Doping Praseodymium into Al-Si glass has potential applications in permanent holographic data storage and other optical devices. For this we are using the sol-gel method to produce glass monoliths at relatively low temperatures. The silicon precursor is tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) and aluminum tri-sec butoxide (ATSB) is the aluminum precursor. TEOS is hydrolyzed in ethanol with HCl as a catalyst. ATSB is then added, as well as praseodymium chloride in water. To prevent cracking we use dimethyl formamide (DMF) as a drying control chemical additive (DCCA). The solution is poured into a polymethylpentene cylinder and maintained at 40°C and the temperature is raised to 150°C to dry and shrink the sample. Samples prepared by this method are amorphous, as indicated by X-ray diffraction. The final aim of this research is to produce optically clear, fracture less monoliths by varying aging, shape and drying conditions.</p>
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:PROQUEST/oai:pqdtoai.proquest.com:1601351 |
| Date | 18 November 2015 |
| Creators | Bheemala, Veera Manesh |
| Publisher | Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville |
| Source Sets | ProQuest.com |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | thesis |
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