What Are the Advantages of Optical Glass Window？

Many people ask me what the benefits are to using sapphire windows instead of glass or fused silica. There are a few short easy answers such as; It&#;s scratch resistant, stronger, etc., but there&#;s even more involved such as spectral ranges and long term costs.

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Below, I&#;ll do my best to touch on each benefit.

1. Yes, it&#;s stronger and more expensive than typical glass. However, what is the long term cost of the fused silica window that you replace every month? Maybe there&#;s a glass optical component that causes your product to decline in performance over time due to harsh conditions. This is a perfect opportunity for a sapphire window. Al2O3 (sapphire) has a mohs hardness rating of 9. That&#;s 1 less than diamond, making it the second hardest material we can use for optical designs. The cost is a bit more than glass, but the savings over time can be remarkable. Replacing that glass window that you had to repair once a month with a sapphire window might be the last time you ever make that repair, and you won&#;t see a reduction in performance over time.
2. Transmission range from UV to the Mid-IR. There aren&#;t any ultra-strong optical materials that cover the same spectrum as sapphire. For example: Common glass ranges from about 375nm to nm. Guild Optics can source sapphire that transmits well starting at 190nm all the way to nm. That&#;s fairly deep into the ultraviolet and into the mid infrared! Without any anti-reflective coatings, sapphire transmits through most of this range at 86%. Sometimes I have customers who want sapphire for their harsh condition application, but need a little more transmission. In this case, I recommend a normal AR coating on the interior face only, leaving bare sapphire on the exterior face to stand up to the abuse. The single side AR coating can increase your overall transmission to > 92%.
3. Mechanical Properties. Yet again, the answer here is tough and strong. Glass starts melting at °C. Sapphire is still useful at that same temperature. In fact a sapphire window can be used for most applications up to °C or slightly greater. That&#;s nearly °F. To quote an old popular quote from the &#;s, &#;That&#;s Hot.&#;
   But there&#;s more! Sapphire Windows are also nearly impervious to all chemicals. Only very strong hot caustics can eventually etch or damage a polished sapphire optical surface. It&#;s also an excellent thermal conductor.

So there you have it. The benefits of Sapphire windows might be the answer for your next project if any of these points sounded interesting to you. Guild Optical Associates is the place to call.

We&#;re located in Amherst, NH. Sapphire Optics MADE IN THE USA!
Our attention to detail and combined skill sets allow us to offer precision sapphire optical components for nearly any industry.
me today and let&#;s find out how I can help you with sapphire. &#;
603-889- x104
www.guildoptics.com
Thank you!
&#; Jon Lavoie

ZnSe: performance in the mid-infrared

Zinc selenium (ZnSe) is a crystalline material with moderate transmission (about 70%) in the near-infrared to thermal-wave infrared range. ZnSe does not exhibit significant hardness. It can be easily scratched or damaged. This material is sensitive to moisture and dirt contamination. The ZnSe can handle high power levels of infrared laser beams.

Multispectral ZnS: for multispectral conditions of use

Like ZnSe, multispectral zinc sulfide (ZnS) is also a crystal with excellent moderate transmission (about 70%) in the near-infrared to thermal-wave infrared range. This material can be used to design optical windows for different wavelengths. ZnS has a very moderate hardness. However, it has a high thermal resistance (to be used up to 750 °C). It is appreciated for its visible transmission characteristics.

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CaF2 and BaF2 fluorinated crystals: for UV, visible and IR optical applications

Calcium fluoride (CaF2) has excellent optical properties in a wide transmission range: from ultraviolet to longwave infrared. This birefringent material, through which light propagates quite slowly, has a low to moderate dispersion, limiting chromatic aberrations. CaF2 is resistant to many chemicals but can be sensitive to some strong acids. It is suitable for high temperature applications. However, you still have to be careful because it is sensitive to thermal shocks. It is low in hardness and it is susceptible to scratches

Barium fluoride (BaF2) is transparent in a wide range of wavelengths, especially in the deep ultraviolet. Unlike CaF2, light travels relatively fast through BaF2. This material has a rather low dispersion. It is sensitive to moisture and strong acids. With good thermal stability, it can withstand moderate temperatures. It has a low hardness and is susceptible to scratches. Like CaF2, it is sensitive to thermal shock.

Quartz: highly resistant to chemically aggressive environments

Quartz is a crystalline material that can be used for optical applications covering a wide spectral area. It has a relatively low dispersion and minimal absorption. This material efficiently transmits light without significant heat dissipation. It is distinguished by a very high resistance to most chemicals (including strong acids and strong bases). With excellent thermal stability, quartz, a hard material, is resistant to high temperatures.

Sapphire: one of the hardest materials after diamond

Sapphire is a transparent crystalline material in a wide spectral wave range from visible to near-infrared. It is particularly transparent in the ultraviolet light. Sapphire is known for its high mechanical, thermal (up to °C) and chemical (including strong acids, strong bases) resistance. It has a relatively low dispersion. Light travels quite slowly through this material. Sapphire is extremely hard and resistant to scratches (erosion, abrasion, etc.). Its machining process requires the use of mastered techniques such as the use of ultrasonic technology.

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