Behavior of Bubbles of Oxygen and Sulfur Dioxide in Soda-Lime Glass

Bubbles of sulfur dioxide are dissolved by soda-lime glass containing arsenic or ferric oxide at a rate which follows a square-root-of-time law, indicating a diffusion process. Mixtures of sulfur dioxide and oxygen are dissolved very rapidly as long as both gases are present, whereas an excess of either gas remaining in the bubbles is adsorbed at the normal rate, which depends on the composition of the glass. Apparently sulfur dioxide is dissolved by oxidation either by oxygen in the bubble or by oxygen diffusing from oxidizing constituents in the glass, whereas oxygen is dissolved by diffusing into the glass to react with reducing constituents.