Quantitative morphological and compositional evaluation of laboratory prepared aluminoborosilicate glass surfaces

- Aluminoborosilicate glass surfaces were prepared through both melting and polishing/etching and the surface composition and morphology were quantified as a function of processing method.
- Glass surface morphology was quantified using PSD analysis, followed by both fractal and ABC model fitting, resulting in a comprehensive description of the spatial distribution of roughness.
- All melt surfaces showed a depletion in Na, Ca, and B with respect to the bulk composition. Polished/etched surfaces showed a depletion in Na, B, and Al with respect to the bulk composition.
- It was found that increasing heat treatment temperature of melt surfaces lead to a decrease in equivalent roughness and an increased spatial homogeneity of roughness while etching of polished ISG glass surfaces decreases the roughness and spatial distribution homogeneity of roughness.