Vibration of glass atoms studied

2010-03-05
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A new technique showing how atoms in glass vibrate is expected to contribute immensely in the use of glass in applications such as nuclear waste immobilisation and as a biomaterial.

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A new technique showing how atoms in glass vibrate is expected to contribute immensely in the use of glass in applications such as nuclear waste immobilisation and as a biomaterial.

Scientists from the Functional Materials Group at Kent University's School of Physical Sciences (SPS) developed the experimental method revealing more clearly how the atoms vibrate, expanding the potential use of glass as a material for various applications.

Specific applications for biomaterial include the development of a biodegradable glass for bone regeneration.

The team used several types of glass containing different isotopes of oxygen, which vibrate at different speeds due to their differing masses.

Using a technique called inelastic neutron scattering, they measured the speed of these vibrations.

Dr Gavin Mountjoy, the project's principal investigator, said: "Knowledge of how atoms vibrate in solids is fundamental for explaining the thermal properties of materials; for example, in materials used for energy production, which operate at high temperatures.

"It has always been difficult to study atoms vibrating in glasses because the atoms are not arranged in a regular, predictable way as they are in crystals. To date, the understanding of this phenomenon has been heavily reliant on computer simulations."

Their research, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, was published in the journal Physical Review B.

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