The optical absorption, density, DSC and infrared absorption spectra of a series of sodium tetraborate glasses are measured as a function of copper content up to 5 mol%. It is found that the addition of CuO shifts the fundamental absorption edges towards lower energies in the range from 6.17-3.48 eV. The addition of CuO does not seem to introduce any new absorption band as compared with the spectrum of a pure sodium tetraborate glass. DSC measurements showed endothermal peaks varying from 486-476 degrees C depending on the CuO content.