Elastic modulus enhancement in zinc tellurite glass through samarium oxide nanoparticles doping

Zinc tellurite glasses, formulated as [(TeO₂)_0.7 (ZnO) _0.3]_1-x [Sm₂O₃ NPs]_x, were synthesized with varying molar fractions (x = 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.04, and 0.05) using the melt-quenching technique. The physical and structural characteristics of the glass were elucidated through XRD and FTIR techniques. FTIR spectra analysis unveiled the presence of functional vibrations within the tellurite network. Shear and longitudinal ultrasonic velocities of the samples were measured at room temperature with a frequency of 5 MHz. The ultrasonic velocities were used to analyse various parameters such as Poisson’s ratio (σ), microhardness (H), elastic moduli, and Debye ( \(\theta_{{\text{D}}}\) ${\theta }_{\text{D}}$ ) and softening ( \(T_{{\text{S}}}\) $T_{\text{S}}$ ) temperatures. The results demonstrated the detrimental impact of samarium oxide nanoparticles on the host materials, leading to improved properties and strengthened glass network synthesis. This research contributes valuable insights into the effects of dopant content on the physical and mechanical characteristics of zinc tellurite glasses.