Investigation of Chemical Durability Mechanisms and Structure of Fluoride Glasses.

Abstract : The research conducted under this grant consisted of three major thrusts: (1) the development of an understanding of the chemical dissolution behavior of fluoride glasses, (2) the development of guidelines for the formation of structural models for binary fluoride glasses and (3) the investigation of fabrication conditions and the resulting structures for binary fluoride films. The research was conducted over a span of 4 1/2 years. The results include the development of a comprehensive data base and model for the corrosion of the three principal fluoride glass composition systems, and the development of a theoretical framework for the analysis of the structural stability of fluoride glass systems based upon microscopic considerations. The work has yielded nine publications, with three more in preparation, and has contributed to two MS theses and two PhD dissertations.