Experimental Study of the Mechanical Properties of Silicate Glasses Using Various ratios of Alkaline Earth Oxides

Abstract

Projects in engineering that requires the use of glasses demand specific mechanical properties so as to guarantee the reliability, availability and the system effectiveness. Therefore, depending on the peculiarity of the system, the type of glasses required largely depends on the ratios of alkaline earth oxide used in the making of the glass. This work therefore, is aimed at establishing the effects of varying the composition of some alkaline earth oxides (calcium + barium +silicate content) in the mechanical properties of silicate glasses. To this end, glass specimens produced in a related work were cut to the desired sizes, washed and dry cleaned to avoid unwanted impurities that may alter our results. The dry cleaned glass specimens were then suspended in an electrically heated tank with steel pipes. The tank was made up of molten sodium chloride salt (NaCl) and the solution was heated for eighteen hours (18 hrs.) at a temperature of 420oC. During the heating, exchange of ions took place in the heating chamber. The compression layer was set at 180μm, at a pressure of – 850 MPa. Our findings showed that in addition to the alkaline earth oxide ratio to magnesia components, the kinetic of alkali ion exchange was largely responsible for strengthening the mechanical properties of glasses. On the application of Vickers hardness indenter, there was a significant increase in the hardness, strength and Young modulus of the glass series A. These findings were further subjected to a confirmatory test using the Ball drop test. The confirmatory test showed a superior remarkable departure in terms of hardness, strength and Young Modulus of the glass series B.