Mechanism of Cluster Formation on Cerium Borosilicate Glasses Based on TEM-EDP and SEM-EDEX Investigations

Cerium oxide has a great capacity to remove nonbridging oxygen atoms (NBO) from the glass network and serves as glass former units. The well formed CeO4 units played the role of decreasing NBO from the silicate network and cause a reduction in the concentration of tetrahedral boron groups (N4). The highest content of NBO in glass of lower CeO2 (1 mol%) has a dominant role in constructing crystalline clusters in the glass. Higher CeO2 concentration leads to formation of an amorphous glass network as documented by XRD and TEM-EDP spectra. Coordination of cerium with oxygen atoms gives uniform units of spherical morphology in the pure CeO2 as well as in cerium rich glass. Clustered species has a great benefit in the field of application, used as a shielding material for ionized radiations.