International Journal of Applied Glass Science最新文献

Transparent glass–ceramics (GCs) with excellent mechanical properties is a growing demand in the field of optoelectronic devices. In this work, Mg₂SiO₄ nanocrystals embedded transparent GCs were prepared using the melt-quenching method. The effects of the TiO₂ content on the structural and crystallization properties of glass were examined, and the influence of Mg₂SiO₄ crystallization on the depth of layer (DOL) for K–Na ion-exchange was also investigated. The introduction of TiO₂ was advantageous for the enhanced bulk crystallization of Mg₂SiO₄ nanocrystals within the glass matrix. With an increase in the TiO₂ content, the size of Mg₂SiO₄ nanocrystals decreased, leading to an improvement in the transmittance of the GCs. Crystallization of Mg₂SiO₄ nanocrystals promoted the increase in Vickers hardness and ion-exchange DOL obviously, and the Vickers hardness can further be improved by ion-exchange. Ion-exchange resulted in the transformation of NaAlSiO₄ into KAlSiO₄. Results reported here are valuable for the design and preparation of GCs with excellent mechanical and ion-exchange properties.

This research aimed to investigate the compositions of commercial soda–lime–silica glasses currently present in the UK market, as there is a lack of recent research on the subject, with the most recent studies now being over 20 years old. This study involved sampling and analyzing the compositions of over 30 commercial soda–lime–silica container and float glass samples, primarily from the UK market, in 2022 to 2023. Based on the results, the characteristics of these commercial glasses has been evaluated using multiple property models and analysis methods. In the first part, we illustrated the opportunities for glass manufacturers to modify or adjust their glass compositions to enable lower melting temperatures, thereby reducing energy demand and fuel carbon emissions. This can help the glass industry meet its net zero carbon emissions targets. It de-risks compositional modifications for a glass manufacturer by highlighting that other manufacturers have already successfully commercially implemented such changes.

We fabricated anti-glare (AG) coatings on glass sheets by spraying alkoxide-derived silica sols and demonstrated that the water-to-alkoxide ratio is one of the key factors for improving AG performance and sol stability. We synthesized silica sols using tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS), water, nitric acid, and denatured ethanol and sprayed them on sheets of chemically strengthened glass. The molar ratios of water to TEOS (r) were 3, 7, and 14. The sol with r = 7 provided a higher arithmetic-mean height (Sa), smaller autocorrelation length (Sal), and better optical properties (lower gloss, higher haze, and lower sparkle level) than the sol with r = 3. An excessive amount of water at r = 14 yielded a large Sal and a high sparkle level. As the storage time of the sols increased, higher r values caused a more pronounced increase in Sa. Although none of the sols showed noticeable temporal changes during dynamic light scattering measurements, solutions with higher r values exhibited a more remarkable reduction in the retention time during liquid chromatography with a styrene-divinylbenzene matrix. Hence, an excessive amount of water was thought to cause hydrophilization of the polymerized species during storage.

The sodium aluminosilicate (NAS) glass family is important for many different industrial applications, but glass relaxation has not yet been thoroughly studied in this system. Thermal analysis techniques such as differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and modulated differential scanning calorimetry (MDSC) can provide insight into the enthalpy relaxation of glass by measuring the glass transition temperature (T_g), activation energy, and enthalpy of relaxation. MDSC is mostly used to study nonoxide and low T_g glasses, and there is much debate about whether the nonreversing heat flow analysis method is accurate. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first paper using MDSC to study these NAS compositions, and one of few papers to report MDSC on high T_g oxide glasses. We report on one set of modulation conditions that obtain a linear response using Lissajous curves, as well as comparing the activation energy calculated from DSC with the enthalpy of relaxation obtained from MDSC. Our results show that the activation energy and enthalpy of relaxation do not give the same compositional minimum in relaxation, and therefore more work is needed to investigate the validity of the nonreversing heat flow approach for high T_g oxide glasses.

In the first part of the study, we sampled and investigated the composition of commercial glasses in the UK market from 2022 to 2023, as well as property data provided by various models. In this part, we utilize principal component analysis (PCA) to conduct a comparative analysis, integrating these data with the composition of commercial glass documented in previous literature. The widely held belief that the composition of commercial soda–lime–silica glasses has remained essentially unchanged over the past 30+ years is challenged by this research. The differences in composition of current commercial glass compositions compared to glasses from 30 to 40 years ago have been quantified. This not only sheds light on the direction of travel and reasons for adjustments to UK glass compositions over recent decades, but it also provides insights and predictions into the future trends.

For the fiberglass industry making E-Glass fiber products predominantly, reduction in glass batch melting energy can be achieved by using alternative raw materials that improve the kinetics of the batch-to-melt (BtM) conversion process. The present study evaluates the effects of the following five types of natural silicate minerals: kaolin (comprising low [<5 wt%] and high [>50 wt%] “free” quartz), pyrophyllite, anorthosite, and wollastonite, on the BtM conversion process using a reference commercial E-Glass composition. The study used isothermal heat treatment of individual silicate minerals and batch samples containing them, infrared spectroscopy, powder x-ray diffraction, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to characterize the stages of the BtM conversion process in detail. Based on the results of this study, a simplified reaction scheme or mechanism is proposed to account for the effect of batch chemistry on the BtM kinetics, namely, “free SiO₂” + “free CaO” → CaSiO₃ controls the kinetics of the batch melting. Relative to the E-Glass control batch made using kaolin, sand, and limestone, the DSC tests showed the benefits of using pyrophyllite (replacing kaolin and sand), anorthosite (replacing kaolin and some limestone), and wollastonite (replacing limestone) in lowering the BtM conversion energy (from room temperature [RT] to 1200°C) between 20% and 50%.

Transparent lithium aluminum silicon glass-ceramics are prepared via heat treatment and the effect of boron oxide (B₂O₃) content on the structure and properties of Li₂O-Al₂O₃-SiO₂ glass-ceramics is investigated. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results reveal that the parent glass containing B₂O₃ exhibits a higher concentration of bridging oxygen (BO). With an increase in B₂O₃ content, the relative amount of BO changes from 76.64% to 79.86% and then to 79.52%. Simultaneously, the second crystallization peak temperature T_P2 of the samples increases from 715°C to 720°C and then to 724°C by differential scanning calorimeter analysis. The X-ray diffractometer and scanning electron microscope results indicate that the addition of B₂O₃ facilitates grain growth, while an increase in B₂O₃ substitution for Al₂O₃ hinders the precipitation of LiAlSi₄O₁₀ but promotes quartz formation. The glass containing 2 wt% B₂O₃ with the heat treatment of 560°C/ 4 h+ 680°C/2 h shows a Vickers Hardness value of approximately 7.75 GPa, and a transmittance at 550 nm reaching ∼85%.

Wheel scribing on glass generates a vertical crack with a periodic stripe pattern beneath the wheel (hereafter referred to as the first crack). After the passage of the scribing wheel, sometimes seconds later, the first crack is repropagated with a smooth surface (the second crack). The second crack propagates to 90% or more of the glass thickness under suitable scribing conditions, facilitating the breaking process. The mechanism of secondary crack propagation has not been sufficiently explained in previous studies. Therefore, this study used analytical and experimental methods to examine stress distribution and crack propagation behavior during wheel scribing. Finite element analysis suggests that the increase in the stress intensity factor contributing to the propagation of the second crack was due to not only the crack opening force but also the bottom deformation of the glass specimen. An analytical model accounting for the bottom deformation can simulate the characteristic behavior, such as rapid deepening when the scribing load exceeds a specific threshold value, of the second crack. This study indicates that the elastoplastic deformation caused by wheel contact induces the deformation of the entire specimen, and the state of the bottom constraints is important for controlling the second crack.

Photovoltaic (PV) modules are a key technology to aid the imminent transition from carbon-based energy. End-of-life crystalline silicon PV modules produce a waste stream that is predominantly landfilled due to the recycling challenges associated with PV reuse economics. Current practices recycle the aluminum frame and repurpose the junction box but landfill the rest of the module. The primary challenge in recycling the remaining module is finding a technoeconomically viable method for separating the silicon and glass from the ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) layers. This issue will rapidly expand with time as it is estimated that flat glass production for solar panels is currently unable to meet the demand for PV. Current literature suggests that chemical, thermal, and mechanical delamination offer economically feasible solutions under ideal circumstances. In this work we evaluate these methods using end-of-life panels and assess the economic viability. The technoeconomic study presented here suggests the most economically viable option for disposing of end-of-life solar panels, given current technology, is landfilling. Thermal delamination may offer an alternative route in the future. Financial incentives, which can be quantified with this work, may be required to kickstart PV recycling to help bridge externalities around environmental impact.

A two-dimensional (2D) axisymmetric numerical model, based on the finite element method, for glass containers forming processes is presented. Glass forming processes involve coupled thermomechanical phenomena in which heat transfer and viscous flow are dependent, as glass viscosity is highly dependent on temperature. During the overall process glass changes from a molten state to a solid state. Therefore, adequate cooling conditions must be set appropriately. From the numerical point of view, the modeling must be robust so as to adjust to the different sequenced stages. Remeshing techniques requiring adequate data transfer, as well as, different thermal and mechanical contact conditions between glass and molds must be taken into account. Also, effective treatment of the incompressible conditions associated with glass flow must be dealt with. The aim is to set the better process parameters so that the final containers have the required geometrical shape and thickness distribution. A numerical model was conducted addressing all these issues and a thickness distribution comparison with real industrial products was performed.