Characterization of 20Na ₂ O·30((1− <i>x</i> )CaO· <i>x</i> SrO)·50P ₂ O ₅ glasses for a resorbable optical fiber application

Abstract Resorbable glasses with nominal molar compositions of 20Na 2 O·30[(1− x )CaO· x SrO]∙50P 2 O 5 , where x = 0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, and 1, were prepared and characterized. With the replacement of CaO by SrO, the molar volume, refractive index, and coefficient of thermal expansion increased, and the glass transition temperature, crystallization temperature, and viscosity decreased. The replacement of CaO by SrO decreased the dissolution rate in 37°C water by nearly an order of magnitude. Resorbable glass fibers drawn from melts of the 20Na 2 O·30CaO·50P 2 O 5 glass exhibited decreasing transmission of laser light (632 nm) in a predictable way as the fiber dissolved in a phosphate buffer solution. This demonstrated that these glasses could be used to produce resorbable fibers for temporary biosensing or therapeutic applications.