Devitrification and Phase Separation of Zinc Borosilicate Glasses in the Presence of MgO, P2O5, and ZrO2

What is it about?

The opal glasses are manufactured particularly in illumination technology, decorative purposes, glass jewelry, and tableware. Opals are partially crystallized or phase-separated glasses with chinaware appearance, and their opacity results from light refraction and internal scattering between either glassy or crystalline phases. The main factors determining the overall scattering coefficient and consequently affecting the opacity of a two-phase systems are the particle size, relative refractive index, and volume of the second-phase particles. There has been some interest in using sodium zinc borosilicate system because of its tendency for phase separation. This system has been used as opacified glass for many applications such as durable heat-resistant opal glass. A base glass composition which undergoes phase separation was chosen in the system Na2O-ZnO-B2O3-SiO2. Spontaneous and reheat-treatment opal glasses were synthesized by addition of different amounts of oxides such as P2O5 and ZrO2.

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Why is it important?

Borosilicate glasses are one the most important produced glasses according to their promising shock resistance durability and high melting temperature. in this regards effect of different oxides on structure and properties of these glasses have been an important issue that should be considered. in this study systematically important glass modifying and glass making oxides has been added to zinc borosilicate glasses and effect on crystallization and opacification of them has been precisely determined.

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