Penetration of tin in the bottom surface of float glass: A synthesis

Abstract In the float process, tin from the float bath diffuses in the underside of the glass ribbon. It is shown that the conjugate use of several surface analysis techniques can serve to determine the full concentration profile of tin, from the first few monolayers to depths of several micrometers. Results suggest that a definite compound of sodium, tin and silicon forms in the first monolayer and that the migration process is one of diffusion accompanied by chemical reaction.