Mixed intermediate effect on mechanical and rheological performances in ZnMg silicate glasses

In contrast to the mixed alkali or mixed alkaline earth effect, the mixed intermediate effect has received little attention in glass community. Here, we focus on the mixed intermediate effects, i.e. mixed MgZn effects, by partial substitution of MgO for ZnO in sodium silicate glassy series. Opposite to the previously reported “mixed alkaline earth effects”, here the compositional dependences of microhardness and isokom temperature following the gradual substitution of Mg by Zn show a positive deviation from the linear tendency between the two end-members, which is maybe due to the competition between cationic potential energy mismatch and network polymerization. Through the structural identification by Raman scattering technique, we give a microscopic explanation for the observed mixed MgZn effects. Finally, we identified the mixed MgZn effects on viscosity and configurational entropy, which indicates that the Zn and Mg have a similar dynamic role at glass transition temperature but play a more different role at lower viscosity.