Nanostructured phases in bismuthate glasses containing rare earth ions

Glasses of the xR2O3(1-x)(Bi2O3 PbO) system where R=Gd, Eu, and Nd and 0 x . 0.30 were obtained and studied by magnetic susceptibility, X ray diffraction and SEM microscopy. Magnetic susceptibility data that the rare earth magnetic ions show a clusterization tendency even for low concentrations. Over certain limits, the increase of the rare earth oxide content of the samples generate the phase separation process. The crystalline phase evidentiated was the 3BiO-PbO 13 solid solution (built up of distorted [Bi06] and [Pb06] octahedral units in the body centered cubic crystallographic structure).