STRUCTURAL STUDY OF COMPLEX TELLURITE GLASSES

The short-range atomic order in multicomponent tellurite glasses, cont aining 80 mol% TeO2 and 20 mol% CsCl, MnCl2, FeCl2 and FeCl3, has been studied by the neutron scattering method. Despite the easy deformatio n of the basic building units of these glasses, the TeO4 polyhedra, th e first coordination maximum of the radial distribution functions (RDF ) remains well separated. The coordination number of Te is four for al l of the compositions studied. For the glasses with either of the 3d m etal chlorides as a modifier, the O-O distribution undergoes considera ble changes during the transition to the vitreous state. The interpret ation of the experimental RDF has been carried out by comparison with model distribution functions composed of the experimental RDF for pure TeO2 glass and crystal-like RDF for the modifier.