Dissolution and precipitation processes

Some impressions of the dissolution of calcium-aluminosilicate glasses at pH 13.

• Surface roughening of polished glass surfaces:

Untreated polished surface of calcium aluminosilicate glass.

Roughened surface of calcium aluminosilicate glass after 28 days of exposure to a pH 13 NaOH solution. 

• SEM pictures of glass particles before and after dissolution:

SEM photo of the glass particle surface before dissolution.

SEM photo of the glass particle surface after dissolution treatment (48h at pH 13 NaOH). The surface looks similar to the surface before dissolution and shows the absence of precipitation products.