Influence of Lead Oxide on the Structure and Properties of Borosilicate Glass

Abstract

Considerable attention is still being devoted to investigations of borosilicate glasses, which have peculiar properties, but the results are controversial in most cases. For example, it is known that addition of oxides of the RO type (CaO, MgO, PbO, etc.) and of Al₂O₃ in amounts up to 5 mole % sharply raise the chemical stability of three-component borosilicate glasses [1–3], but while additives of the RO type cause strong opalescence up to complete opacification of the glasses Al₂O₃ has the opposite effect. On the other hand, the same cations differ in their effects on the coordination number of boron [4].