Abstract

Soda-lime-silicate glasses containing different amounts of Mn²⁺ and Mn³⁺ (in concert with varying concentrations of iron or antimony) were exposed to high-intensity ultraviolet light. After solarization, the manganese did not appear to change valency from the reduced Mn²⁺ back to the colored Mn³⁺ state. However, most glasses exhibited an increase in the background absorption in the visible and ultraviolet spectrum from 800 to 300 nm, probably attributable to the degradation of the glass surface by the ultraviolet radiation.

© 1997 Optical Society of America