Effect of ZrO2 addition on the structure and properties of aluminoborosilicate glass

Aluminoborosilicate glass, a novel special optical glass material, has attracted extensive attention due to its excellent physical and chemical properties. It is well known that zirconia (ZrO₂) can enhance the mechanical properties of glass, making it an indispensable component in many aluminosilicate glass systems. However, few studies have systematically investigated the effect of ZrO₂ content on the properties of aluminoborosilicate glass. In this work, aluminoborosilicate glasses were successfully prepared by the melt-quenching method in the SiO₂–B₂O₃–Al₂O₃–Na₂O–NaCl–ZnO–TiO₂–ZrO₂ system. The influence of ZrO₂ content on the microstructure, mechanical properties, thermal expansion coefficient, and visible light transmittance was investigated. The results show that an appropriate amount of ZrO₂ increases the glass density, hardness, and flexural strength, while excessive ZrO₂ reduces the mechanical properties. Conversely, the thermal expansion coefficient and softening point temperature exhibit opposite trends: moderate ZrO₂ content decreases these parameters, whereas excessive ZrO₂ leads to their increase. Notably, ZrO₂ content shows no significant effect on the visible light transmittance, and all glass samples maintain excellent optical transparency, achieving up to 90 % transmittance in the visible light region. These findings are of great significance for the development of high-performance aluminoborosilicate glasses and broadening their wide applications in various fields.