Chalcogenide glasses from the As-Te-Sb system were synthesized for the first time. The glass-forming region was determined by the help of visual, X-ray diffraction and electron microscopic analyses. Glasses are obtained mainly in the Te-rich region of the Gibbs diagram. The basic physicochemical parameters such as density (d), microhardness (HV) and temperatures of phase transformations (the glass transition T-g crystallization T-cr, and melting T were measured. Compactness and some thermomechanical characteristics such as volume (V-h) and formation energy (E-h) of micro-voids in the glassy network as well as the module of elasticity were calculated. The glass-forming ability was evaluated according to Hruby's criteria (K-G). The correlation between composition and properties of the As-Te-Sb glasses was established and comprehensively discussed. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.