Insights into gel maturation from alteration of borosilicate glass from 7 days to 27 years
Article
Narayanasamy, S, Bell, JG, Tiwari, S et al. (2025). Insights into gel maturation from alteration of borosilicate glass from 7 days to 27 years
. 9(1), 10.1038/s41529-025-00664-w
Narayanasamy, S, Bell, JG, Tiwari, S et al. (2025). Insights into gel maturation from alteration of borosilicate glass from 7 days to 27 years
. 9(1), 10.1038/s41529-025-00664-w
Prediction of glass alteration kinetics evolution is key to assessing chemical durability. A mechanistic understanding of the different processes controlling the alteration kinetics will enable the development of robust models. The “gel” that forms on the glass surface because of alteration is known to have “passivation” properties that reduce glass alteration rates. However, open questions remain about the passivation mechanism. Tracing experiments using 10B and 18O and characterization of gel layers aging from 7 days to 27 years, formed at pH90°C 9 and 90 °C, provided some insights into the evolution of the gel properties (maturation) and their influence on alteration kinetics. The probable mechanisms by which the glass alteration kinetics reduces have been examined. It has been suggested that both the reactive diffusion of water and the boron diffusion through the gel layer towards the solution have decreased over time. The potential causes and consequences of this decrease have been reviewed.
