The Importance of Secondary Phases in Glass Corrosion

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe analytical expression used to model glass reaction in computer simulations such as EQ6 is compared to the results of experiments used to support the simulations. The expression correctly predicts the acceleration observed in experiments performed at high glass surface area/1eachant volume ratios (SA/V) upon the formation of secondary phases. High resolution microscopic analysis of reacted glass samples suggests that the accelerated nature of the reaction after secondary phase formation is due to changes in the reaction affinity (i.e., is a solution effect) and not a change in the glass reaction mechanism. The composition of solutions in contact with reacted samples reflect the effects of the secondary phases predicted in the model. Experiments which lead to the generation of secondary phases within short reaction times can be used to identify important secondary phases which must be Included in the data base of computer simulations to correctly project long-term glass reaction behavior.