Comparative studies on the bioactivity of some borate glasses and glass–ceramics from the two systems: Na2O–CaO–B2O3 and NaF–CaF2–B2O3

Combined FTIR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis have been employed to investigate the bone-bonding ability or bioactivity of some prepared borate glasses and their glass–ceramic derivatives from the two systems (Na₂O–CaO–B₂O₃) and (NaF–CaF₂–B₂O₃). The present study includes the mentioned FTIR spectral and X-ray analytical techniques before and after immersion of the glasses and glass–ceramics for 2 weeks in 0.025 M sodium phosphate (Na₂HPO₄) solution. Also, the work extends to evaluate the corrosion behavior for specified grains of the studied samples (0.3–0.6 mm) after immersion in phosphate solution for 2 weeks at 37 °C. The FTIR spectra of the two glass systems after immersion show some changes in the vibrational bands than before immersion. The generation of the characteristic peaks at about 580 and 680 cm⁻¹ after immersion confirms the bone bonding ability by the formation of hydroxyapatite phase. The X-ray diffraction studies show the separation of (CaF₂) which is known to be an efficient nucleator. Weight loss data show a difference in solubility in the sodium phosphate solution between fluoride and oxide glass systems due to the strong action of the leaching solution and ease of solubility of fluoride glasses than corresponding oxide glasses in this solution. SEM data indicate the formation of small rounded or nodular shape crystals which are characteristics for the formation of hydroxyapatite layer and complete agreement with X-ray data.     

Phase diagram study and thermodynamic modeling of the Na2O–Al2O3–ZrO2 system

The phase diagram of the Na₂O–Al₂O₃–ZrO₂ system was experimentally studied at 1500°C–1650°C by a classical equilibration/quenching method and differential thermal analysis followed by X-ray diffraction phase analysis and electron probe micro-analysis. A sealed Pt crucible was utilized to prevent the volatile loss of Na₂O during high-temperature phase equilibrium experiments and the hydration upon quenching. The phase diagram of the Na₂O–Al₂O₃–ZrO₂ system was revealed for the first time. Based on the present experimental data and available binary modeling results in literature, the thermodynamic modeling of the ternary system was performed using the Calculation of Phase Diagram method and the phase diagram of the entire the Na₂O–Al₂O₃–ZrO₂ system was constructed and the optimized thermodynamic properties for all solids and liquid phase within the ternary system were obtained.     

On the Possibility of Forming Complexes with the Participation of O2– Ions in Melts and Glasses of the Na2O–SiO2–Cu2O System

The structural role of copper ions in melts (glasses) of the Na₂O–SiO₂–Cu₂O–CuO system is analyzed in the framework of the acid–base concept with due regard for the geometric (the radius ratio for Cu²⁽¹⁾⁺ and O^2– ions) and energy (the mean enthalpies of the Cu²⁽¹⁾⁺–O bonds) factors. It is demonstrated that copper ions in the structure fulfill the function of modifier cations. In these melts, the Cu¹⁺–Cu²⁺ redox equilibrium can be described without regard for the formation of [Cu²⁽¹⁾⁺O_4/2]^2(3)– ionic complexes (which could be incorporated into the structure of silicon–oxygen anions) and [Cu²⁺O _b/k ]^{2 – b/k} polyhedra providing the interaction between Cu²⁺ ions and anions. The influence of the formation of these polyhedra on the redox equilibrium is considered within the formalism of chemical thermodynamics. The composition dependence of the oxygen ion exponent pO is measured by an electromotive force (emf) technique. The ratio between the numbers of copper atoms with different valences is determined by chemical analysis. The experimental data obtained are in agreement with the theoretical inferences.     

Stability in the system CaO–Al2O3–H2O

The solubility of AH₃, CAH₁₀, C₂AH_7.5, and C₃AH₆ was determined experimentally at 7 to 40 °C and up to 570 days. During the reaction of CA, at 20 °C and above initially C₂AH_7.5 formed which was unstable in the long-term. The solubility products calculated indicate that the solubilities of CAH₁₀, C₂AH_7.5 and C₄AH₁₉ increase with temperature while the solubility of C₃AH₆ decreases. Thus at temperatures above 20 °C, C₃AH₆ is stable, while at lower temperature also CAH₁₀ and C₄AH₁₉ are stable, depending on the C/A ratio.At early hydration times, CAH₁₀ can be stable initially at 30 °C and above, as the formation of amorphous AH₃ stabilises CAH₁₀ with respect to C₃AH₆ + 2AH₃. With time, as the solubility AH₃ decreases due to the formation of microcrystalline AH₃, CAH₁₀ becomes unstable at 20 °C and above.     

High permittivity and low loss dielectric ceramics in the BaO–La2O3–TiO2–Ta2O5 system

Dielectric ceramics were synthesized and characterized in the BaO–La₂O₃–TiO₂–Ta₂O₅ quaternary system for the three typical compositions: Ba₃La₃Ti₅Ta₅O₃₀, Ba₄La₂Ti₄Ta₆O₃₀ and Ba₅LaTi₃Ta₇O₃₀, which formed the filled tungsten-bronze structures. The present ceramics indicated high dielectric constant ε (127.7–148.1) and low dielectric loss tanδ (in the order of 10⁻⁴–10⁻³ at 1 MHz). Meanwhile, the temperature coefficient of dielectric constant τ_ε varied from −728 to −1347 ppm/°C with increasing Ba and Ta and decreasing La and Ti concentration in the temperature range of 20–85 °C. The present ceramics are promising candidates for high-ε and low loss dielectric ceramics, and the suppression of τ_ε should be the primary issue in the future work.     

Optical and mechanical properties of amorphous bulk and eutectic ceramics in the HfO2–Al2O3–Y2O3 system

Bulk glasses containing HfO₂ nano-crystallites of 20–50 nm were prepared by hot-pressing of HfO₂–Al₂O₃–Y₂O₃ glass microspheres at 915 °C for 10 min. By annealing at temperatures below 1200 °C, the bulk glasses were converted into transparent glass-ceramics with HfO₂ nano-crystallites of 100–200 nm, which showed the maximum transmittance of ～70% in the infrared region. An increase of annealing temperature (>1300 °C) resulted in opaque YAG/HfO₂/Al₂O₃ eutectic ceramics. The eutectic ceramics contained fine Al₂O₃ crystallites and showed a high hardness of 19.8 GPa. The fracture toughness of the eutectic ceramics increased with increasing annealing temperature, and reached the maximum of 4.0 MPa m^1/2.     

Characterization and sintering of gels in the system MgO–Al2O3–SiO2

Cordierite aerogels, made by supercritical drying, and xerogels, formed by ambient pressure drying, have been prepared by combining two different recipes. The chemical composition of the gels varied from stoichiometric cordierite 2MgO·Al₂O₃·5SiO₂ to 0·5MgO·1·4Al₂O₃·5SiO₂ due to different procedures for washing of the gels. The crystallization of nearly stoichiometric cordierite gels was shown to be relatively complex involving the formation of several metastable phases such as μ-cordierite (Mg₂Al₄Si₅O₁₈), spinel (Al₆Si₂O₁₃) and sapphirine (Mg₄Al₈Si₂O₂₀) before the equilibrium phase composition was obtained at around 1350°C. On the other hand, during crystallization of gels with stoichiometry close to 0·5MgO·1·4Al₂O₃·5SiO₂ the equilibrium phases mullite, cristobalite and α-cordierite were the major phases formed during heat treatment. A lower densification rate was observed for aerogels compared to xerogels due to a larger pore size. A lower crystallization temperature in aerogels probably due to heterogeneous nucleation reduced the densification. For gels with a composition near 0·5MgO·1·4Al₂O₃·5SiO₂ nucleation and densification occur simultaneously and large differences in the densification behavior was observed. ©     

Phase stability and equilibria in the La2O3–TiO2 system

XRD, electron probe wavelength and energy dispersive X-ray analyses were used to reexamine the phase relations in the La₂O₃–TiO₂ system. The diagram was redrawn to include the compound La₄Ti₃O₁₂ in addition to La₄Ti₉O₂₄, La₂Ti₂O₇ and La₂TiO₅. Above 1455°C a cation deficient perovskite La_2/3TiO₃ is stabilized by a small number of Ti³⁺ ions and remains stable on cooling in air. The proposed diagram represents a section through the system at the normal oxygen pressure in air at 1 atm, compositions being expressed in terms of the oxide components stable at room temperature.     

Activation and deactivation of the commercial-type CuO–Cr2O3–Fe2O3 high temperature shift catalyst

This work elucidates the structural evolution of a commercial-type iron oxide-based high temperature water–gas shift (HT-WGS) catalyst during activation and deactivation stages. The findings highlight the importance of Cu–FeO _x interfaces. Based on the new insights, future improvement of commercial iron-based catalysts should focus on stabilization of the active Cu–FeO _x interface. Much effort has been devoted to understanding the structure, mechanism, and promotion of the commercial-type CuO–Cr₂O₃–Fe₂O₃ catalyst for the high temperature water–gas shift (HT-WGS) reaction. However, structural evolution of the catalyst during the activation and deactivation stages was rarely reported. Herein, catalyst characterization, temperature-programmed studies, and kinetic analysis were conducted on iron oxide-based HT-WGS catalysts. Addition of Cu was found to accelerate both the bulk (Fe₂O₃ → Fe₃O₄) and surface (active FeO _x–Cu interface) transformations during the catalyst activation stage. During catalyst deactivation, Cu accelerated both sintering of the Fe₃O₄ bulk phase and unfavorable encapsulation of the metallic Cu particles with a substantial FeO _x overlayer. The loss of the initial active Cu–FeO _x interfacial sites reversed the promotional effect of Cu.     

Calculation of the Viscosity of Glass-Forming Melts: VI. The R2O–B2O3–SiO2and RO–B2O3–SiO2Ternary Borosilicate Systems

A method for calculating the viscosity from composition and temperature for melts in the R _m O _n –B₂O₃–SiO₂systems is proposed. The change in the concentrations of structural groups depending on the melt composition is taken into account in calculations. The results of calculations are compared with the experimental data available in the literature on the viscosity of 1200 melts with the use of the SciGlass information system. The root-mean-square deviation between the experimental and calculated characteristic temperatures varies from 30 K (for the glass transition temperature and the Littleton point) to 50 K (for a viscosity of 10⁴P).     

A Significant Role of Tb2O3 on the Optical Properties and Radiation Shielding Performance of Ga2O3–B2O3–Al2O3–GeO2 Glasses

Journal of Inorganic and Organometallic Polymers and Materials - This research article focuses on the significant role of Tb2O3 content on the optical properties and radiation shielding performance...     

Crystallization of Glasses in the K2O–Nb2O5–SiO2System

The changes in the structure and phase composition of glasses in the K₂O–Nb₂O₅–SiO₂system upon their heat treatment in the temperature range 700–800°C are studied by the small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) technique and X-ray powder diffraction. It is demonstrated that the crystallization is the primary process giving rise to microinhomogeneities in glasses due to heat treatment. Nanocrystals of an unidentified niobium-containing phase precipitate in glasses with the formation of regions with a decreased content of potassium and niobium oxides. An increase in the duration of heat treatment at the studied temperatures results in an increase in the size of nanocrystals without change in their phase composition. This is accompanied by the disappearance of diffusion zones, which leads to a decrease in the SAXS intensity in the range of small scattering angles and, correspondingly, to a decrease in the light scattering intensity.     

Surface and bulk crystallization in Nd2O3–Al2O3–SiO2–TiO2 glasses

Neodymium aluminosilicate (Nd₂O₃–Al₂O₃–SiO₂; NdAS) glasses have been investigated for the effect of concentration of TiO₂ on the crystallization mechanism and for the effect of surface condition on crystal growth. NdAS glasses with 0–10 wt.% TiO₂ were heat-treated for nucleation and crystal growth and were examined for phase separation and morphology of surface crystals as well as for crystal growth rate. All the glasses exhibit surface crystallization, however, the glass having 8 wt.% TiO₂ also exhibits internal crystallization after a two-stage heat treatment. Surface crystallization was dependent on the condition of the glass surface and the amount of TiO₂. The crystal growth on the cut surface was faster than on the fractured surface and the growth rate in surface increased with increasing TiO₂. The phase separation found in NdAS glasses containing above 8 wt.% TiO₂, was confirmed to be an important factor controlling the internal crystallization process in Nd₂O₃–Al₂O₃–SiO₂–TiO₂ glasses.     

Quantitative prediction of the structure and properties of Li2O–Ta2O5–SiO2 glasses via phase diagram approach

Tantalum silicate glasses serve as laser host materials to take advantage of their high refractive index and the ability to tailor their physical properties in the design of high-performance photonic and photoelectric components. However, successful attainment of feature control in tantalum-doped materials remains a longstanding problem due to the limited understanding of local structure around the tantalum ions, a problem that lies at the heart of predicting the micro- and macroscopic properties of these glasses. Herein, we present a novel approach for predicting the local structural environments in tantalum silicate glass based on a phase diagram approach. The phase relations and glass formation region of Li₂O–Ta₂O₅–SiO₂ ternary systems are explored to calculate the structure and additive physical properties of lithium tantalum silicate glasses. These measured and calculated results are in good quantitative agreement, indicating that the phase diagram approach can be applied broadly to Li₂O–Ta₂O₅–SiO₂ ternary glass systems. Using the phase diagram approach, the local structure of tantalum can be directly obtained. Each Ta atom is surrounded by six atoms, and its polyhedron, the TaO₆ octahedron, bonds through oxygen to Li and Ta. As a network modifier, Ta⁵⁺ depolymerizes the silicate glass structure by modulating the local structure of lithium atoms in Li₂O–Ta₂O₅–SiO₂ ternary glass system. The compositional dependence of structure in lithium tantalum silicate glasses is quantitatively determined based on the structure of the nearest neighbor congruent compound through the lever rule. These findings offer a precise prediction of tantalum silicate glass properties with quantitative control over local structural environment of the disordered materials.     

Effect of CaO doping on the properties and crystallization behavior of Y2O3–Al2O3–SiO2 glass

Nowadays, Y₂O₃–Al₂O₃–SiO₂ (YAS) glass joining is considered to be a promising scheme for nuclear-grade continuous silicon carbide (SiC) fiber reinforced SiC matrix composites (SiC/SiC). CaO has great potential for nuclear applications since it has low reactivity and low decay rate under nuclear irradiation. In this paper, the effect of CaO doping on the structure, thermophysical properties, and crystallization behavior of YAS glass was systematically studied. As the CaO doping content increased, the number of bridge oxygens and the viscosity at high temperatures reduced gradually. After heat treatment at 1400 °C, the main phases in YAS glass were β-Y₂Si₂O₇, mullite, and SiO₂ (coexistence of crystalline and glass phases), while that with 3.0% CaO doping turned into a single glassy phase under the same treatment conditions. Moreover, a structural model and the modification mechanism were proposed, which provided a theoretical basis for the subsequent component design and optimization.     

Effects of La2O3–B2O3 on the flexural strength and microwave dielectric properties of low temperature co-fired CaO–B2O3–SiO2 glass–ceramic

The La₂O₃–B₂O₃ (LB) addition, synthesized using the traditional solid-state reaction process, was chosen as a novel sintering aid of the low temperature co-fired CaO–B₂O₃–SiO₂ (CBS) glass–ceramic. The effects of LB on the flexural strength and microwave dielectric properties have been investigated. The LB addition promotes the crystallization of the CaSiO₃ but high amount of the LB addition leads to the formation of more pores. The CBS sample with 4 wt% LB addition sintered at 850 °C for 15 min shows good properties: flexural strength = 193 MPa, ?_r = 6.26 and loss = 9.96 × 10^?4 (10 GHz).     

Thermal Stability and Crystallization Kinetics of MgO–Al2O3–B2O3–SiO2 Glasses

To support commercialization of the MgO–Al₂O₃–B₂O–SiO₂-based low-dielectric glass fibers, crystallization characteristics of the relevant glasses was investigated under various heat-treatment conditions. The study focused on the effects of iron on the related thermal properties and crystallization kinetics. Both air-cooled and nucleation-treated samples were characterized by using the differential thermal analysis/differential scanning calorimeter method between room temperature and 1200°C. A collected set of properties covers glass transition temperature (T_g), maximum crystallization temperature (T_p), specific heat (ΔC_p), enthalpy of crystallization (ΔH_cryst), and thermal stability (ΔT=T_p—T_g). Using the Kinssiger method, the activation energy of crystallization was determined. Crystalline phases in the samples having various thermal histories were determined using powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and/or in situ high-temperature XRD method. Selective scanning electron microscope/energy-dispersive spectroscopy analysis provided evidence that crystal density in the glass is affected by the iron concentration. Glass network structures, for air-cooled and heat-treated samples, were examined using a midinfrared spectroscopic method. Combining all of the results from our study, iron in glass is believed to function as a nucleation agent enhancing crystal population density in the melt without altering a primary phase field. By comparing the XRD data of the glasses in two forms (bulk versus powder), the following conclusions can be reached. The low-dielectric glass melt in commercial operation should be resistant to crystallization above 1100°C. Microscopic amorphous phase separation, possibly a borate-enriched phase separating from the silicate-enriched continuous phase can occur only if the melt is held at temperatures below 1100°C, that is, below the glass immiscibility temperature. The study concludes that neither crystallization nor amorphous phase separation will be expected for drawing fibers between 1200°C and 1300°C in a commercial operation.     

Influence of Li2O–B2O3–SiO2 glass on the sintering behavior and microwave dielectric properties of BaO–0.15ZnO–4TiO2 ceramics

This paper reports the investigation of the performance of Li₂O–B₂O₃–SiO₂ (LBS) glass as a sintering aid to lower the sintering temperature of BaO–0.15ZnO–4TiO₂ (BZT) ceramics, as well as the detailed study on the sintering behavior, phase evolution, microstructure and microwave dielectric properties of the resulting BZT ceramics. The addition of LBS glass significantly lowers the sintering temperature of the BZT ceramics from 1150 °C to 875–925 °C. Small amount of LBS glass promotes the densification of BZT ceramic and improves the dielectric properties. However, excessive LBS addition leads to the precipitation of glass phase and growth of abnormal grain, deteriorating the dielectric properties of the BZT ceramic. The BZT ceramic with 5 wt% LBS addition sintered at 900 °C shows excellent microwave dielectric properties: ε_r=27.88, Q×f=14,795 GHz.