Fabrication of gold ruby glasses using solar panel glass cullet

Abstract

Gold ruby glasses were fabricated by melt quenching and subsequent isothermal treatment using solar panel glass cullet with B 2 O 3 and Au. In this study, the effect of B 2 O 3 addition on the melt viscosity was evaluated. Moreover, the B 2 O 3 concentration and melting conditions were optimized to prepare homogeneous glass samples at laboratory scale. As a raw material of gold, Au 2 O 3 powder with 0.014 mass % was added into aqua regia via a known dissolution process. The Sb 2 O 3 constituent (³0.2 mol %) contained in the glass cullet probably played the role of a reducing agent for gold. Homogeneous red glasses were obtained through isothermal treatments at 600 620°C for ten days.