Radiation induced paramagnetic centres in MgOAl2O3SiO2 glasses containing TiO2

Upon irradiation with ⁶⁰Co γ-rays Cordierite glasses with added TiO₂ display two dominant ESR resonances arising from (a) Ti³⁺ ions (b) holes trapped at non-bridging oxygen ions singly bonded to [SiO₄]^? tetrahedra. The Ti³⁺ ions appear to be in D_4h octahedral sites with the evident distributions between the principal g values arising from an isotropic randomness at the titanium sites. However, the g parameter distributions of the hole resonance, and their changes during the addition of TiO₂ indicate the development of Silicate structures in the glasses which are the precursors of the major low temperature crystalline phases. The invariance of the hole and electron resonance lines with pre-crystallization heat treatments indicates that neither the titanium associated structures or the basic silicate structure of the glass are changed by such treatments.