Direct‐Current Polarization During Field‐Assisted Glass‐Metal Sealing

Abstract

Thin plates of borosilicate glass were polarized near the annealing point with a dc voltage of typically 600 V. From the measurements of capacitance and current, the width of the polarized region and the electric field within the region were deduced. The results indicate that the glass layer adjacent the anode becomes depleted of positive sodium ions and of compensating negative charge. As a result, the electric field in the layer acquires a maximum value of the order of 10 6 V/cm. Some implications of the process with regard to field‐assisted glass‐metal sealing are discussed.