| Abstract Scope |
Chalcogenide glasses (ChGs) are multicomponent glasses that transmit light in infrared (IR) region and are commonly used as detectors, optical fibers, and IR lenses. Precision-glass molding is a method for producing high quality ChG lenses without grinding and polishing. However, during the precision-glass molding process, unused scrap pieces of the glass are left behind. By recapturing these scrap pieces and remelting them with new raw material, we could recycle waste from optic fabrication and lower cost of production. In this study, we remelt pristine ChG with varying percentages of scrap glass material recovered from processing and measure the resulting physical and optical properties. We then compare our results to pristine bulk and precision molded ChG glass. This research hopes to answer whether ChG scraps can be used in subsequent manufacturing processes like precision glass molding. |