Chapter 4 Concept of polymeric polymorphous-crystalloid structure of glass and chalcogenide systems: Structure and relaxation of liquid and glass

Abstract

Publisher Summary This chapter presents a concept of polymeric polymorphouscrystalloid structure of glass and chalcogenide systems. While the concept of polymeric polymorphous-crystalloid structure of glass has been developed for many years, the general concept of polymeric nanoheteromorphous structure of multi-component glass has been “tested” only with three binary systems: chalcogene system S–Se, chalcogenide system GeSe2–Se and oxide systemSiO2–GeO2. Analysis from its position of other binary as well as ternary glassforming systems allows apparently to reveal additional physical–chemical features of glass formation processes, to interpret in a new fashion the liquation processes in glassforming systems as well as to disclose other features which cannot be forecasted. But even now it is possible to state that the main thesis of the general concept of glass formation is: nanoheteromorphism and nanoheteromorphous co-polymerization are necessary and sufficient conditions for glass formation in any substance. It is concluded that the proposed concept of polymeric nanoheteromorphous glass structure will stimulate the further development of thermodynamic and kinetic approaches to glass formation, and to promote future unification of these approaches with structural–chemical approach in a joint general theory of glass formation.