A STUDY OF THE PHYSICAL AND OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF PINK GLASSES MADE FROM SUGARCANE LEAVES IN NAKHON PATHOM PROVINCE

This research aims to study of the physical and optical properties of pink glasses made from sugarcane leaves in Nakhon Pathom Province. Sugarcane leaves were subjected to baking at temperatures of 1000°C. It was observed that as the SiO2 content increased, the color of the glass changed. The glass formula was designed according to the ratio of (40-x) SiO2: 20B2O3: 25Na2O: 15CaO: xEr2O3 mol%, where x represents the concentration of Er2O3 in the glass. The ground mixture was melted in a porcelain crucible at a temperature of 1,200°C in an electric furnace for 3 hours under normal atmospheric conditions. Subsequently, the homogeneous melts were formed and quenched into a preheated graphite mold, followed by immediate annealing at 500°C. The glass was then slowly cooled to room temperature. Afterward, the colored glass samples were analyzed, revealing that the density and refractive index of the glass samples ranged from 2.6060 to 2.7548 g/cm3 and 1.5465 to 1.5664, respectively. All glass samples exhibited a hardness value of 5.5 on the Mohs scale.