Nucleation and growth of AgCl clusters in a sodium borate glass: Numerical analysis and SAXS results

Abstract

By solving a set of differential rate equations the precipitation of AgCl clusters in the glass system 30Na2O–70B2O3/AgCl has been modeled. Using a parallel algorithm on a CRAY T3E it was possible to investigate the process of homogeneous nucleation and growth, which starts after an initial quench of the glass melt into the miscibility gap of the phase diagram, even including the onset of the Ostwald ripening stage. The method has been applied to the examination of the intermediate stage between independent growth and Ostwald ripening. In particular, the influence of the interfacial tension and the temperature of heat treatment on the evolution of the silver halide clusters has been investigated. The results are in qualitative agreement with those of in situ measurements of small-angle x-ray scattering. Furthermore, general consequences for the interpretation of experimental data on nucleation and growth have been derived.