Physical Properties and Structure of Silicate Glasses: I, Additive Relations in Alkali Binary Glasses

Abstract

Correlations between certain physical properties, P, and all eighteen compositional ratios between the five ionic parameters of the system were studied with a computer for the five alkali silicates. Linear relations were found between P and the alkali/silica, alkali/oxygen, and silica/alkali ratios for certain regions of the glass field when the P's are expressed in proper molar terms. Specific volume and heat of formation data indicate three linear regions with two sharp break points between. The log electrical resistivity and the volatilization loss show two such regions and only the second break point. The break points, while structural in origin, must therefore occur for different reasons. The break points are the same for all P's and coincide with the eutectics. The constants of the linear relations are the partial molar quantities associated with P. Break points are not found in the molar refractivity data, so that no change in ligancy for these systems is indicated.