Liquids under tension and glasses under stress
Abstract
The dependence on temperature of the maximum sustainable tension in water has been measured by an isochoric method. Special techniques were used to seal small clean samples of water and other liquids in crystalline quartz in the form of fluid-micro-inclusions. With such samples we have succeeded in suppressing the heterogeneous cavitation process which has frustrated all previous attempts to study water under static tensions approaching the theoretical (spinodal) limit. The data smoothly extend from positive pressures to negative pressures, and are in excellent agreement with homogeneous nucleation theory. The maximum observed tension is 1443 bar at 40$\sp\circ$C for water. Comparable data have been obtained for the molecular liquid o-terphenyl, and for some concentrated NaCl solution in one of which are tension to 1800 bar at cavitation, the maximum value observed in this study. Some physical measurement, NMR chemical shifts, and visible absorption spectra have been carried out at moderate tension using macroscopic samples to demonstrate the continuity of properties across the zero pressure line, and to provide an independent check on equation of state estimates of tension in the samples. In a subsidiary branch of the thesis work the correlation of impact strength and conductivity relaxation of fast ion conducting glasses has been investigated. A novel technique for measuring mechanical impact resistance of glass was developed and tested using alkali borate and LiCl-Li$\sb2$O-B$\sb2$O$\sb3$ glass fibers. Clear evidence that the presence of fast mechanism, the Li+ jumping, can absorb short impact energy and enhance the impact resistance was obtained.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Angell, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Chemistry|Mechanical engineering|Materials science
Off-Campus Purdue Users:
To access this dissertation, please log in to our
proxy server.