Molar Replacement Research Articles

A Note on the Effect of Lithium Oxide Upon the Surface Tension of Several Silicate Melts

The effect of the addition of lithium oxide upon the surface tension of some silicate melts was measured by the maximum-bubble-pressure method at three temperatures. By molar replacement lithium oxide was added in 0.001, 0.01, 0.05 and 0.1 molar quantities to a soda-silica glass, a soda-lime-silica glass, a borosilicate glass, ground-coat and cover-coat enamels, and a whiteware glaze. The change in surface tension was found to be nonlinear, depending upon the composition of the base melt and the temperature, as well as the concentration of lithia. In the glasses and enamels, lithia increased the surface tension; with the glaze, however, the surface tension was reduced sharply.