The Surface of Glass – Interface Reactions and Chemical Changes During Processing.
Helmut A. Schaeffer, Berlin
Plenary Lecture / Society of Glass Technology, Cambridge, September 2010
Abstract
Physical-chemical interface reactions will be discussed which occur during glass melting and processing such as volatilisation, solubility of gases, crystallization, dealkalization and ion exchange, leading to changes of the chemical composition of near-surface regions. These changes give rise to altered physical and chemical properties of the glass surface which can be exploited in a controlled fashion for the benefit of specific applications, e.g. strength increase, diffusion barrier effect, integrated optics.