The Aging Effects of Ultraviolet Irradiation on the Optical Properties of Glass

Abstract

Glass is known for its high mechanical strength, resistance to high temperatures, corrosion resistance, excellent transparency, thermal stability, and good electrical insulation properties, making it widely used in various fields such as construction, household, and automotive applications. In this study, three types of glass samples were exposed to three different environments: outdoor, ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, and UV irradiation in water vapor. The influence of these different environments on light transmittance and surface morphology was investigated using UV-visible-near infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The experimental results indicate that lead-containing glass exhibits excellent resistance to UV irradiation, sodium-calcium glass samples exhibit significant variations in transmittance in the UV and infrared regions, possibly related to iron content, and high borosilicate glass samples show a noticeable decrease in transmittance in the infrared region.