This book, entitled Electrochemistry of Glasses and Glass Melts - Including Glass Electrodes, is one of a series reporting on research and development activities on products and processes conducted by the Schott Group. The scientifically founded development of new products and technical pro cesses has traditionally been of vital importance to Schott and has always been performed on a scale determined by the prospects for application of our special glasses. Since the reconstruction of the Schott Glaswerke in Mainz, the scale has increased enormously. The range of expert knowledge required could never have been supplied by Schott alone. It is also a tradition in our company to cultivate collaboration with customers, universities, and research institutes. Publications in numerous technical journals, which since 1969 we have edited to a regular schedule as Forschungsberichte - "research reports" - describe the results of these cooperations. They contain up-to-date infor mation on various topics for the expert but are not suited as survey material for those whose standpoint is more remote. This is the point where we would like to place our series, to stimulate the exchange of thoughts, so that we can consider from different points of view the possibilitiel:l offered by those incredibly versatile materials, glass and glal:ls ceramics.
This book is one of a series reporting on international research and development activities conducted by the Schott Group companies. With the series Schott aims to provide an overview of its activities for scientists, engineers, and managers from all branches of industry worldwide where glass and glass ceramics are of interest. Each volume begins with a chapter providing a general idea of the current problems, results, and trends relating to the subject treated.
This volume gives background knowledge about the difficult matter of electrochemical behaviour of glass melts and solid glasses, laying the foundations for
- a sound understanding of physicochemical redox and ion transfer processes in solid or liquid glasses and the interpretation of experimental results;
- control of production processes, including fining, interface reactions and thermodynamic equilibria of glass melts with refractories and the surrounding atmosphere;
- the field-driven ion exchange between solutions and glasses or within electrochromic thin-film systems;
- fundamentals and application of glass electrodes for pH measurements, as well as information about the presently ongoing redefinition by a IUPAC committee;
- mechanisms responsible for glass corrosion;
- the concept of optical basicity.
The book is conceived as a monograph. The individual chapters, however, are written by experts from the Schott R & D department or their external partners in research. Many practical examples provide the reader with facts to study the various aspects of electrochemical processes in ion-conducting materials.
