Structural characterization of zinc-modified glasses from the SiO2-P2O5-K2O-CaO-MgO system

• Glasses from the SiO2-P2O5-K2O-CaO-MgO-ZnO system were prepared and analyzed.
• Glasses were characterized by spectroscopic methods.
• The presence of Q4. Q3. Q2 and Q1 silicate and Q0 and Q1 phosphate units was found.
• It was shown that role of zinc in the structure changes depending on its quantity.

Multicomponent glasses from the SiO2-P2O5-K2O-CaO-MgO-ZnO system acting as slow release fertilizers were synthesized by the melt-quenching technique. The influence of ZnO addition on the structure of the glasses was examined by spectroscopic (FTIR, Raman, 31P and 29Si MAS NMR), DSC, and XRD techniques. The presence of Q4, Q3, Q2 and Q1 silicate units and Q0 and Q1 phosphate units was found in the tested glasses. It was shown that role of zinc in the structure of such glasses changes depending on its quantity form the modifier of the silicate-phosphate network to the structure forming component.

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