Formation of a Sulfate Glass

Abstract

The highly symmetrical SO 4 2 ‐ group is not easily distorted and consequently does not lend itself readily to glass formation, Vitreous sulfates of cations of the noble‐gas type are unknown. However, by combining a large cation with a weak positive force field (K + ) with the strong field of the proton (H + ), it became possible to distort the sulfate group sufficiently to delay crystallization on cooling and to obtain a potassium hydrogen sulfate glass.