The details of the formation of CuCl nanoparticles in photochromic glass

Abstract

The details of the formation of CuCl nanoparticles in the sodium alumina-borosilicate glass for different methods of thermal treatment of the samples are studied by exciton thermal analysis. It is revealed that the formation of the CuCl phase in glass depends on the heating rate of the samples to the predetermined temperature of isothermal annealing. The concentration of the nucleating centers of the CuCl phase reaches its peak value at 600°C during slow (60 min) heating up to 650°C, due to the fast increase of the critical size of particles of the phase as a result of the fast temperature increase and the rapid decrease of supersaturation in glass. As a result, the formation of new CuCl nucleation centers terminates above 600°C, and part of the centers formed earlier whose size is less than critical dissolve, which results in the monotonic decrease of the CuCl particle concentration.