Structural Characterization and Analysis of Glasses in the Al2O3-B2O3-Fe2O3-Na2O-SiO2 System

Abstract

ABSTRACTGlasses in the Al2O3-B2O3-Fe2O3-Na2O-SiO2 system were produced at a temperature of 1150 °C, annealed, and examined using XRD and SEM/EDX. Surfaces of same samples were additionally heat-treated and etched with HCl. The pristine samples were X-ray amorphous and rather homogeneous except the B1 sample that contained trace crystalline phases of carnegieite/nepheline and spinel. Corrosion of these glasses via an etching treatment proceeds by a conventional mechanism with damage of their surface layers, however, the B2 glass exhibits a “drop-type” microstructure after etching that suggests occurrence of liquid-liquid phase separation.