What is second oxide in a glass system?

[Donchay]

is [(TeO₂)₇₀(B₂O₃)₃₀]_1-x(CuO)_x a binary oxide glass?
What is the definition of second oxide? Is the second oxide for the above glass is CuO??

 

[DrDu]

I'd rather say the second oxide it is B2O3. As long as x is very small, it would call it a doped binary oxide glass or the like. However if x is of the order of 1, then it is a ternary glass.

 

[Donchay]

I've been making glass and observe their optical properties from range of x=0.1 to x=0.3. So that would make CuO the second oxide, and thus binary glass?

 

[Claude Bile]

I would say that the Te and B oxides are the binary oxides as they would be the network formers; Cu most likely acts as a network modifier; that is, it exists to perturb the ratio of O to Te and B without "participating" in the covalent bond network.

Claude.