Structure of Sodium Borosilicate Glasses: Models and Experiment

Abstract—This study is aimed at the analysis of two structural models of the structure of sodium borosilicate glasses (the Dell model and the thermodynamic (TD) model), which differ significantly in their fundamental principles. Where it is possible, we compare the model’s predictions regarding the structural features of glasses in the Na₂O–B₂O₃–SiO₂ system on the near (distribution of basic structural units) and average (the content of superstructural groups as a function of glass composition) scales with the experimental data. The analysis gives an idea of the information content of both models and their correctness in terms of their predictions.