| In the pursuit of sustainable material development, calcium oxide derived from
biowaste eggshells was utilized as an eco-friendly precursor in the synthesis of Nd2O3
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doped aluminium sodium calcium phosphate glasses. The glasses were synthesized
through the melt-quenching technique at around 1060oC. X-ray diffraction patterns
verified the non-crystalline structure of the samples. Furthermore, scanning electron
microscopy combined with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy was employed to
analyze the elemental composition, confirming the inclusion and uniform distribution
of calcium within the glass matrix. The optical characteristics of the glasses were
examined in detail using a UV-Visible spectrometer to measure the optical band gap
and corresponding optical conductivity values. Additionally, the refractive index of
each glass sample was measured, revealing a clear compositional dependence
influenced by rare-earth doping. Furthermore, Raman spectroscopic studies provided
insights into the structural units and phosphate network modifications induced by
Nd2O3 incorporation. The incorporation of eggshell-derived CaO demonstrates a viable
alternative to conventional calcium sources in compositionally sensitive phosphate
glass systems, without adversely affecting the structural and optical properties. This
approach highlights a value-added pathway for biowaste utilization while maintaining
the functional characteristics required for optical investigations. |
