Production and characterization of glasses that develop microporous structures through acid treatment

This study explores the formation of porosity in glass of specific compositions when stirred in an acid solution. Glass samples were either obtained from commercial sources or prepared via the traditional melt-quenching method. After acid treatment, the samples were characterized using nitrogen adsorption measurements, revealing that 13 out of 20 samples developed porosity. The Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area of these samples ranged from 283.1 to 605.6 m²/g. The elemental composition of the glass was analyzed using an X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (XRF), which indicated that the development of porosity was associated with a high content of acid-sensitive elements, such as Na, K, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, B, Al, Pb, and Fe. The elution of these elements occurred in samples where the total molar ratio of acid-sensitive elements exceeded that of Si, resulting in a silica-rich structure (>93.7%). The pore formation rates varied among the samples with different elemental compositions.