Gold Ruby Glasses: Influence Of Iron & Selenium On Their Colour

Colour development of gold ruby alkali glasses, when various elements are added to the batch, has been investigated. Elements used in the study are selenium, iron, tin, lead, antimony, cerium, titanium & bismuth. The colours are presented & compared by their Lab coordinates. Among the elements selenium & iron are found to be important, & the role of these elements in colour development is discussed. Thermodynamic calculations show that important oxidation states are Fe2+ for iron and Se0 & Se2- for selenium, and that higher melting temperature improves the colour, as it affects the oxidation states of both Fe & Se.