Distribution of Impregnated Component and Nonuniformity of Colloidal Silica in Porous Glass

Porous glass prepared by acid leaching of phase separated glass contains colloidal silica, resulting in the nonunif ormity in the porous glass. Porous glass rods were impregnated with aluminum nitrate solutions, and some of them were treated subsequently with ammonia to precipitate aluminum hydroxide. Then the porous glasses were sintered to form nonporous glasses. The concentration profile of aluminum in the sintered glasses was studied with reference to the nonunif ormity. The aluminum concentration in the impregnated and ammonia-treated specimens was high at the surface region and decreased toward the center. This fact coincides with the distribution of porosity which is high at the surface region. The concentration difference between the as-impregnated and impregnated and ammonia-treated specimens was large at the center and decreased toward the surface, in good correlation with the distribution of the surface area which is high at the center. A narrow gap with a low aluminum concentration was observed at the center of the impregnated specimen and was ascribed to the very densely deposited colloidal silica.