Nuclear magnetic resonance studies of the glasses in the system Na2OB2O3SiO2

The ¹¹B NMR spectra have been used to study the structure of glasses in the system Na₂OB₂O₃SiO₂. The fraction of BO₄ units, and the fraction of BO₃ units with one or two nonbridging oxygens, are measured and analyzed according to a structural model. The results indicate that: (1) for a sodium oxide to boron oxide ratio of 0.5 or less, the Na⁺¹ ions are attracted primarily by the borate network; therefore, the ternary glasses can be viewed as binary sodium borate glasses diluted by SiO₂; (2) when the sodium oxide to boron oxide ratio exceeds 0.5, the additional Na₂O results in the formation of BSi₄O₁₀]^?1 units at the expense of diborate and SiO₄ units. In this process, Na⁺¹ ions are still taken up only by the borate network. After all the available SiO₄ units are consumed to form BSi₄O₁₀]^?1 units, additional Na⁺¹ ions are proportionally shared between the borate and silicate networks.