Address:
Glafo, Box 5157,
SE-350 05 Växjö
SWEDEN

Visitor's address:
Vejdes plats 3

Tel: +46 10 516 63 50
E-mail: info@glafo.se

You find a map at the
"about Glafo" page.

SURFACE STUDIES BY LEACHING

The aim is to develop and verify the methodology to quantify the concentration gradients in surface treated glasses by controlled leaching.

The glass surface is important to the glass properties. It can be treated to give new functions to the glass. The treatments mostly create concentration gradients in the materials.

For product development and quality control it might be necessary to determine the concentration gradient of an element, or the distribution of a certain oxidation number from the surface and into the bulk.

By leaching with hydrofluoric acid the glass can be dissolved. With a diluted HF solution the leaching can be controlled. The leaching equipment can vary, but in principle it consists of a peristaltic pump, a liquid cell, and a fraction collector.

This technique has been applied, e.g. for glass with a coloured surface layer, see project “Spectrophotometric quantification of colouring elements in glass”.

The methodology will be developed further in connection with the application to other present projects, as for example the new project “Chemical toughening of flat glass”.


CURRENT PROJECTS