Effect of thermally induced structural disorder on the chemical durability of International Simple Glass

Abstract

While the influence of silicate oxide glass composition on its chemical durability is increasingly known, the contribution of structure only is less well understood, yet is crucial for an accurate description of aqueous alteration mechanisms. The effect of structural disorder can be investigated by varying the thermal history of the glass. Furthermore, the structural changes generated by self-irradiation in nuclear glasses can be compared with those induced by fast quenching. In the context of deep geological disposal of vitreous matrices, it is then challenging to address the structural impact on glass durability. Here, a borosilicate glass, the International Simple Glass, was fiberized to obtain a rapidly quenched sample. The quenching rate and fictive temperature were evaluated from in situ Raman and Brillouin spectroscopies. Multinuclear nuclear magnetic resonance was used to obtain insight into the effect of quenching on the pristine and altered glass structure. Higher bond angle distribution and lower mixing of alkalis were observed in the fast quenched glass. Some of AlO4 groups are then Ca-compensated, while a part of BO4 is transformed into BO3 units. The structural modifications increase the hydrolysis of the silicate network occurring in the forward rate regime at 90 °C by a factor of 1.4–1.8 depending on the pH value. Residual rate regime is similarly affected, more significantly at the beginning of the experiments conducted in silica saturated solutions. These findings prove that the reactivity of glass remains controlled by its structure under the various alteration regimes.