The influence of Li2O on the structural and thermal properties of Al2O3–CaO–K2O–Na2O–SiO2 glass
摘要
This study investigates and compares the structural and thermal properties of six glasses in the Al2O3–CaO–K2O–Li2O–Na2O–SiO2 system with varying Li2O concentration (0–10 mass%). The physicochemical, thermal, and structural characteristics were systematically analyzed. The addition of Li2O resulted in a change in glass density ranging from 2.50 to 2.53 g cm-3 and in a decrease of the molar volume (from 61 to 56 cm3 mol-1), attributed to the formation of non-bridging oxygens (NBO) and a more compact glass structure. X-ray diffraction confirmed that samples up to 6 mass% Li2O remained fully amorphous. Differential thermal analysis revealed a decrease in glass transition temperature (Tg) with increasing Li2O content and the appearance of exothermic crystallization peaks between 600 and 800 °C for glasses containing 8–10 mass% Li2O. Raman spectroscopy confirmed that Li2O acts as a network modifier, breaking Si–O–Si linkages and increasing the intensity of the band at 960 cm−1, corresponding to Si–O stretching vibrations. The study also highlighted the changes in Qn structural units with increasing Li2O concentration, leading to enhanced depolymerization and structural distortion of the silicate network.