Water corrosion of commercial neodymium-doped phosphate high-peak-power laser glass

In this paper, the surface corrosion mechanisms of Chinese high-peak-power laser glass, the N31 glass, are investigated. Powder samples were immersed in deionized water for up to 72 days. The concentrations of ions in leachate solutions were measured by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy, and the surface evolution during corrosion was characterized by X-ray photoelectron and attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopies. The N31 glass leaches incongruently, and the normalized ionic release rate decreases with an increase of cation field strength. Depending on the oxygen-to‑phosphorus molar ratio (O/P ratio) evolution on the glass surface, the surface corrosion process presents two stages, which can be indirectly supported by the attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy results. This study reveals composition and structure evolutions on the glass surface during water corrosion. In addition, our results suggest that the O/P ratio on glass surface could be used to characterize the surface corrosion degree and mechanisms.