Mixed-Alkali Effect on Rayleigh Scattering in K2O–Na2O–MgO–SiO2 Glasses

The Rayleigh scattering of the mixed-alkali glass system K₂O–Na₂O–MgO–SiO₂ (KNMS) was investigated, both experimentally and theoretically. The lowest Rayleigh scattering coefficient (38% of that for pure SiO₂ glass) was obtained when the glass composition was 22K₂O–8Na₂O–10MgO–60SiO₂ (in mol%). These values are equal to or less than the minimum values reported for the ternary sodium silicate glass Na₂O–MgO–SiO₂. The Rayleigh scattering caused by concentration fluctuation was believed to have been reduced greatly in this KNMS glass, because the mobility of the alkali-metal ions was reduced by the mixed-alkali effect.     

Decomposition of Mullite

Free surfaces of 2:1 mullite (2Al₂O₃·SiO₂) specimens decomposed with the evolution of SiO and O₂ when they were heated at high temperatures under low partial pressures of O₂; this reaction was analyzed thermodynamically. In addition, bubbles were observed at internal interfaces between mullite and fused-SiO₂ diffusion couples. These bubbles, when formed at 1 atm ambient pressure between 1650° and 1800°C, resulted from reaction of Si particles and residual SiO₂-rich glass in the fused cast mullite.     

Internal Friction of Ion-Exchanged Li2O.Al2O3.2SiO2 Glass

Fibers of Li₂O.Al₂O₃.2SiO₂ glass were ion-exchanged for 1 to 300 min in an NaNO₃ bath at 366°C. The internal friction and the Li and Na concentration profiles were measured. As Na progressively replaced Li, the alkali internal friction peak became smaller while a new peak (mixed-alkali peak) appeared and increased in magnitude. These changes in internal friction are similar to those that occur when a second alkali is added to glasses prepared by conventional melting. The magnitudes of both internal friction peaks in the ion-exchanged glass depended on the overall composition of the glass; that of the alkali peak depended on the composition of the unexchanged glass core, whereas that of the mixed-alkali peak depended on the composition of the exchanged layer on the glass surface. When the exchanged surface layer was dissolved, the original alkali peak was restored, and the mixed-alkali peak disappeared. Changing the alkali distribution did not affect the mixed-alkali peak much; however, it caused the alkali peak to shift to higher temperatures and become smaller. The height of the alkali peak can be used to determine the maximum depth of penetration of the second alkali.     

Effect of Nucleating Agents on the Crystallization of Calcium Phosphate Glasses

Phase evolution in calcium phosphate-based glass ceramics has been examined. Pure CaO:P₂O₅ readily formed a glass which surface nucleated upon annealing, but volume nucleation at 680°C was observed only after the addition of the nucleating agents, TiO₂ and A1₂O₃. Phase separation of Ti and Al occurred along with the nucleation and growth of a calcium phosphate phase, similar to β-Ca₂P₂O₇. Heat treatments at higher temperatures and/or for longer times resulted in crystallization of A1- and Ti-rich, phase-separated regions. A glass with a higher CaO:P₂O₅ ratio (approximately 2:1) could be prepared only when a total of 25-35 mol% of TiO₂, A1₂O₃, and SiO₂ were present in the batch. The glass phase-separated into respective SiO₂- and CaO/P₂O₅-rich regions on cooling. The SiO₂-rich regions did not influence crystallization and remained amorphous throughout the heat treatments. In the CaO/P₂O₅-rich regions, homogeneous volume nucleation of a Ti-rich phase readily occurred followed by the heterogeneous nucleation and growth on these nuclei of a calcium phosphate phase. Although this phase was macroscopically composed of spherulites, TEM revealed that they consisted of intertwined nanodendrites whose individual arms were approximately 20 nm wide and 50 nm long.     

Effect of Sb2O3 on Thermal Properties of Glasses in Bi2O3–B2O3–SiO2 System

Glasses with compositions 50Bi₂O₃– x Sb₂O₃–10B₂O₃–(40– x ) SiO₂ ( x =0, 1, 3, 5, 8, 10) have been prepared by conventional melt quench technique. Substitution of Sb₂O₃ for SiO₂ exerted an obvious effect on properties of glasses, especially, increased glass transition temperature ( T _g) and crystalline temperature ( T _c) greatly. Results of infrared transmission spectra attributed the effect to the formation of new bridging bonds of Sb–O–B and Sb–O–Si in glass network.     

Mechanisms for Silanol Formation on Amorphous Silica Fracture Surfaces

Amorphous SiO₂fracture surfaces created under different partial pressures of water vapor ( p _H2O) were analyzed using temperature-programmed static secondary ion mass spectroscopy. The results were used to develop an atomistic model for the formation of a fracture surface. It was found that substantial reconstruction of the SiO₂fracture surface took place immediately after the fracture event. Formation of the fracture surface was modeled as three individual steps-rupture of Si-O-Si bonds to form dangling Si* and Si-O* bonds, reconstruction and relaxation of the surface to form both strained and unstrained siloxane bonds, and, lastly, reaction of H₂O molecules with strained siloxane bonds to form surface silanol groups. The final concentration of surface silanol groups was found to have only a weak dependence on the p _H2O in the ambient atmosphere during the fracture process. It was also found that the number of strained siloxane bonds on the SiO₂fracture surface could be substantially reduced by heat treatment of the glass under vacuum.     

Characterization and Sintering of a Porous Glass-Ceramic in the System Na2O-B2O3-Sc2O3

Clear glasses which included droplet-like microphases were produced when SiO₂ in sodium borosilicate glasses was replaced by Sc₂O₃. Phase separation and/or crystallization occurred after heat treatment. The porous skeleton of leached glasses consisted of hexagonal ScBO₃. The specific surface areas and pore radii are comparable to those of porous SiO₂ glass. The sintering temperature of porous Sc-based material is higher than that of porous SiO₂. Alumina contamination influenced the structure of the porous material.     

Corrosion of a Silica-Bearing Ceramic in Sulfur-Oxygen Atmospheres

Experimental observations and thermodynamic calculations are described which show that formation of SiS vapor from SiO₂ in a high-sulfur, low-oxygen atmosphere is a viable corrosion mechanism. This mechanism will become more important than the well-known decomposition of SiO₂ to SiO in those sulfur-bearing atmospheres where the oxygen activity is close to the Si/SiO₂ phase boundary on a volatility diagram.     

Relationship Between Structure and Glass Transition Temperature in Low-silica Calcium Aluminosilicate Glasses: the Origin of the Anomaly at Low Silica Content

The anomalous behavior of the glass transition temperature ( T _g) in low silica calcium aluminosilicate glasses has been related to the structural modifications observed by neutron and X-ray diffraction. The diffraction data indicate that Al and Si are in tetrahedral sites and that Ca atoms are in distorted octahedral sites. By subtracting the correlation functions for glasses at constant SiO₂ or constant Al₂O₃ content, we have shown that Si and Al atoms are introduced in a different way within the glass structure. Si is present in various Q ⁿ sites, while Al resides in Q³ and Q⁴ sites for glasses with high CaO content and enters fully polymerized Q⁴ sites with increasing SiO₂ or Al₂O₃ content. The higher proportion of Al in Q³ positions at high CaO content yields a depolymerization of the network. The lower connectivity will contribute to a decrease of the viscosity, which may be at the origin of the decrease of T _g for glasses at low silica content.     

Structural Variation of the BaTi4O9 Thin Films Grown by RF Magnetron Sputtering

BaTi₄O₉ thin films were grown on a Pt/Ti/SiO₂/Si substrate using rf magnetron sputtering and the structure of the thin films were then investigated. For the films grown at low temperature (≤350°C), an amorphous phase was formed during the deposition, which then changed to the BaTi₅O₁₁ phase when the annealing was conducted below 950°C. However, when the annealing temperature was higher than 950°C, a BaTi₄O₉ phase was formed. On the contrary, for the films grown at high temperature (>450°C), small BaTi₄O₉ grains were formed during the deposition, which grew during the annealing. The homogeneous BaTi₄O₉ thin films were successfully grown on Pt/Ti/SiO₂/Si substrate when they were deposited at 550°C and subsequently rapid thermal annealed at 900°C for 3 min.     

Interdiffusion Coefficients in SiO2-K2O Melts

Chemical diffusion coefficients for Si were measured in potassium silicate compositions containing from 64 to 85 wt% SiO₂; unidirectional diffusion couples were heated for 0.1 to 720 h at 600° to 1400°C. The diffusion coefficients, which were calculated by the Boltzmann-Matano method, are described for a silicate containing 70 wt% SiO₂ by:
The diffusion coefficients decreased with increasing O₂ pressure. Below 800°C, the coefficients decreased with increasing SiO₂ concentration; above 800°C, their dependence on SiO₂ concentration was too weak to detect by the methods used. On the basis of a simple structural model for the glass, it was possible, from a phenomenological analysis of the diffusion, to establish a relation between the oxygen self-diffusion coefficient and the chemical diffusion coefficient for a given composition.     

Microstructure and Properties of Co2+: ZnAl2O4/SiO2 Nanocomposite Glasses Prepared by Sol–Gel Method

Transparent bulk Co²⁺: ZnAl₂O₄/SiO₂ nanocomposites containing nanocrystalline Co²⁺: ZnAl₂O₄ dispersed in silica glass matrix were obtained by the sol–gel method. The gels of composition 89SiO₂–6Al₂O₃–5ZnO− x CoO ( x =0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1.0) (mol%) were prepared at room temperature by using two different aluminum salts, aluminum nitrate and aluminum alkoxide (aluminum-iso-propoxide, Al(OPrⁱ)₃), as starting materials. The transparent gels were converted to the crystalline phase of gahnite by heating above 900°C. The microstructural evolution of gels was characterized. The effect of Co²⁺ concentration on spectroscopic properties was also discussed. Co²⁺: ZnAl₂O₄ nanocrystals dispersed in the SiO₂-based glass are formed at lower heat-treatment temperature and shorter heating time by using Al(OPrⁱ)₃ as raw material.     

Characterization of Optical Thin Films by Spectroscopic Ellipsometry

Spectroscopic ellipsometry was used to rapidly and nonde- structively characterize ion-plated SiO₂ and Ta₂O₅ films on glass substrates as a function of temperature. The analysis provided the density (as a function of depth) and optical properties of the films. The SiO₂ film had a higher refractive index than is typical for thermally grown SiO₂. This was attributed to compaction of the film during the deposition process. Similarly, the ion-plated Ta₂O₅ film had the high refractive index characteristic of a high-density film. The films were not affected strongly by temperature during heating >100°C.     

Active Gaseous Corrosion of Porous Silicon Carbide

In a reducing atmosphere, SiO₂ as an impurity in SiC can react to form SiO and CO gases. Likewise, oxygen in the atmosphere can also lead to the same gaseous species. Experimental data are reported on the rate of weight loss in H₂-H₂O atmospheres of porous SiC containing residual SiO₂. The amount of residual SiO₂ was varied by passive oxidation of the porous SiC prior to heating in the reducing atmosphere. The data are compared to a model of active corrosion to determine the mechanism of weight loss and to identify the gas species present in SiC with SiO₂ as an impurity.     

Chemical Durability of Sodium Silicate Glasses Containing AI2O3 and ZrO2

A sodium silicate glass and ternary glasses derived from it by substituting AI₂O₃ and ZrO₂ for SiO₂ were exposed to water and aqueous solutions of pH 1.4 to 12.7; the kinetics of the reactions were studied. Diffusion of alkali ions and leaching of alkali and SiO₂ from the glasses were influenced by the occupancy of surface sites by alkali ions above a critical pH; however, the activation energies of the processes varied linearly with the logarithm of mole fraction of surface sites occupied by H^plus;. Identical slopes were obtained for all glasses for a given process. The results are explained on the basis that transport of alkali ions is retarded as a result of increased boundary concentration and that suitable sites for reaction are lacking.     

Desiliconization of Mullite Felt

High-temperature evaporation from 80% porous, rigid mullite (3Al₂O₃·2SiO₂) whisker felt was studied under vacuum and at various helium pressures using gravimetry, X-ray diffractometry, SEM, and EDS. Heat treatments at 1350° to 1550°C resulted in evaporation of SiO₂ from mullite with a rate strongly dependent on temperature and pressure. A concentration gradient of SiO₂ was observed through the cross section of samples after heating under vacuum, indicating that SiO₂ preferentially evaporated from whiskers on the periphery of the samples. The SiO₂ concentration gradient was accompanied by sharp microstructural changes across the specimens. The gradient was decreased by raising the ambient helium pressure during heat treatment. A mathematical model was developed to predict the SiO₂ concentration profile. The model agrees well with experimental results and demonstrates that the diffusivity of SiO₂ in the vapor phase controls the gradient of SiO₂ through the cross section of mullite felt.     

Water Entry into Silica Glass During Slow Crack Growth

Hydrogen concentration depth profiles on surfaces of SiO₂ glass fractured slowly in water and rapidly in oil were determined by nuclear reaction analysis. It was found that water enters SiO₂ glass during slow crack growth in water.     

Nanostructure of TiO2 Nano-Coated SiO2 Particles

We characterized SiO₂–TiO₂ nano-hybrid particles, prepared using the sol–gel method, using high-resolution transmission microscopy. A few nanometer-ordered TiO₂ anatase crystallites could be observed on the monodispersed SiO₂ nanoparticle surface. The quantum size effect of the TiO₂ anatase crystallites is attributed to the blue shift of the absorption band. The rough surface of the SiO₂–TiO₂ nano-hybrid particles was derived from the developed growth planes of the TiO₂ anatase crystallites, grown from fully hydrolyzed Ti alkoxide that did not react with acetic acid during the crystallization process at 600°C thermal annealing.     

Sol–Gel Synthesis and Characterization of Ag and Au Nanoparticles in SiO2, TiO2, and ZrO2 Thin Films

Silver and gold nanoparticles were synthesized by the sol–gel process in SiO₂, TiO₂, and ZrO₂ thin films. A versatile method, based on the use of coordination chemistry, is presented for stabilizing Ag⁺ and Au³⁺ ions in sol–gel systems. Various ligands of the metal ions were tested, and for each system it was possible to find a suitable ligand capable of stabilizing the metal ions and preventing gold precipitation onto the film surface. Thin films were prepared by spin-coating onto glass or fused silica substrates and then heat-treated at various temperatures in air or H₂ atmosphere for nucleating the metal nanoparticles. The Ag particle size was about 10 nm after heating the SiO₂ film at 600°C and the TiO₂ and ZrO₂ films at 500°C. After heat treatment at 500°C, the Au particle size was 13 and 17 nm in the TiO₂ and ZrO₂ films, respectively. The films were characterized by UV–vis optical absorption spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction, for studying the nucleation and the growth of the metal nanoparticles. The results are discussed with regard to the embedding matrix, the temperature, and the atmosphere of the heat treatment, and it is concluded that crystallization of TiO₂ and ZrO₂ films may hinder the growth of Ag and Au particles.     

Fugitive Diffusion Barrier for Integration of Sol-Gel-Derived Lead Titanate with Oxidized Silicon Substrates

The crystalline phase development and microstructural changes with heating of sol-gel-derived lead titanate (PT) particles and films on silica with and without a fugitive (or removable) diffusion barrier layer were investigated. Amorphous gel-derived PT particles were deposited on SiO₂-coated TEM grids with and without polyimide (PI) or carbon barrier layers between SiO₂ and PT. TEM analysis showed that PI or carbon barriers prevented reaction between the gel-derived PT particles and SiO₂. PT particles crystallize and then the PI or carbon film decomposes. Sol-gel-derived PT films were deposited on oxidized Si substrates (Si/SiO₂) with and without a PI barrier layer. Perovskite PT films were prepared on Si/SiO₂ substrates with a PI barrier; however, some porosity remained in the films. Identically prepared films without the PI barrier formed a mixture of pyrochlore and perovskite. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results indicate that the PI film pre- vents the diffusion of Si into the PT film.