| Rare earth aluminosilicate (REAS) glasses have been formed using conventional melting techniques. The glass-forming regions of six different ternary systems have been defined with praseodymium, neodymium, samarium, terbium, erbium, or ytterbium oxides, with alumina and silica. The glass-forming regions systematically decreased in size as the atomic number of the particular rare earth in the ternary systems increased. Glasses, of the molar composition 2R{dollar}sb2{dollar}O{dollar}sb3{dollar}-2Al{dollar}sb2{dollar}O{dollar}sb3{dollar}-6SiO{dollar}sb2{dollar}, were formed with twelve of the fourteen true rare earth oxides in order to investigate further effects related to the identity of the rare earth ion in the glasses.; Several properties of the rare earth aluminosilicate glasses were measured. These properties include: thermal expansion, glass transformation temperature, dilatometric softening point, density, molar volume, index of refraction, Vicker's hardness, magnetic susceptibility and the Faraday rotatory response.; The structures of rare earth aluminosilicate glasses were investigated using infrared and Raman spectroscopies as well as magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS-NMR). MAS-NMR provided information regarding the local environments of silicon and aluminum ions in yttrium aluminosilicate (YAS) glasses. Since the size and valence of the yttrium ion are similar to the true rare earth ions, and the properties of the REAS and YAS glasses are similar, it is believed that the structures of yttrium aluminosilicate glasses are similar to those of the true rare earth aluminosilicate glasses.; Several rare earth aluminogermanate glasses, having the molar formula 2R{dollar}sb2{dollar}O{dollar}sb3{dollar}-2Al{dollar}sb2{dollar}O{dollar}sb3{dollar}-6GeO{dollar}sb2{dollar}, were also formed using conventional melting techniques. The properties of these glasses were compared and contrasted with those of the REAS glasses.; Finally, a chapter on the study of magnetic susceptibility in common insulator glasses was added to the thesis. Several techniques used to measure magnetic susceptibility are reviewed in this chapter. The basic theory and concepts of magnetism are also discussed. |
