Application of Rare Earth Elements in the Field of Glass Ceramics

The main applications of rare earths in glass ceramics include rare earth polishing powder, rare earth glass decolorizing and clarifying agent, rare earth optical glass, ceramic pigments, rare earth engineering ceramics, etc. Rare earths are mainly used in the glass ceramic industry in the form of oxides.

Rare earth elements can color glass, such as cerium titanium oxide which can turn glass yellow, glass with neodymium oxide appearing bright red, high-grade praseodymium oxide which can turn glass green, and adding a small amount of rare earth elements to glass can produce various special glasses. Low silicon or silicon free glass containing lanthanum oxide has high refractive index, low dispersion, and good chemical stability, which can be used to manufacture high-quality camera lenses and periscope lenses.

High temperature transparent ceramics and red, green, and yellow glasses made mainly of yttrium oxide and dysprosium oxide, supplemented with other rare earths, have a transmittance of 80% for far-infrared light. They can be used to make laser windows, high-temperature lenses, and infrared windows for automatic guided rockets.

The white glaze with added cerium dioxide has strong covering power, and the body can be made of low-quality clay. The glaze surface is bright, lustrous, and has high whiteness. Adding 3% to 5% praseodymium yellow to zirconium silicate based glazes has a bright lemon yellow color, good purity and brightness, and excellent corrosion resistance and heat resistance. The finished product rate of colored ceramics is also high.