Lead-free high refractive index glass using local Thai sands

Abstract

Due to harmful effects of lead in the high refractive index glass processing, the production of lead-free high refractive index glass by using other materials to replace lead has been studied. In this work, local sand from various sites in Thailand was used to fabricate the lead-free high refractive index glass. Barium carbonate was used to replace lead oxide in order to reduce the amount of lead in glass. Results from the experiments found that the local sands and the processes for making glass were satisfactory. The refractive index of greater than 1.60 was found in the glass specimen prepared from a concentration of barium carbonate of more than 30 weight-%.