Among the glass-forming systems, phosphate glasses have several unique physical and processing properties that are different from conventional silicate glasses, making them potential candidates for applications ranging from biomedicine to photonics to nuclear energy.

Iron phosphate glasses are a particularly promising alternative to borosilicate glasses for high-level nuclear waste vitrification.¹ They have low melting temperatures and can accommodate a wide range of waste components. Plus, some compositions of iron phosphate glasses provide exceptional chemical durability that is even higher than conventional borosilicate waste glasses.