Transient subsurface hardening of soda-lime-silica glass by superheated steam

Title data

Roy, Barsheek ; Rosin, Andreas ; Gerdes, Thorsten ; Schafföner, Stefan:
Transient subsurface hardening of soda-lime-silica glass by superheated steam.
In: European Journal of Glass Science and Technology Part A : Glass Technology. Vol. 64 (2023) Issue 6 . - pp. 185-196.
ISSN 1753-3554
DOI: https://doi.org/10.13036/17533546.64.6.007

Project information

Abstract in another language

Aqueous corrosion of soda–lime–silica (SLS) glass surfaces is a ubiquitous phenomenon, demanding a thorough under- standing of the underpinning structural chemistry. Here we unveil the fugacious behaviour of water molecules within the disseminated voids of the subsurface silicate network of SLS glass. The surface nanostructural modifications caused by the exposure of the glass surface to continuous flow of superheated steam was investigated. The variation of hardness was studied as a function of depth from the glass surface, in correlation with the structural alterations at atomic scale by surface sensitive spectroscopic techniques. The analysis of the modification of the surface nanostructure, driven by the enhanced mobility of the silicate network effectuated by superheated steam at the vicinity of glass transition temperature (Tg ), serves as a model to explain the activity of water molecules within the glass network. We attribute the evidence of transient subsurface hardening to the loss of interstitial water molecules within the silicate rings.