The effect of electric field on phase separation in glasses: a model and experimental testing

Theoretical analysis about the effect of electric field on nucleation in a binary system is given in the present paper. The effect of electric field d epends on the difference of electric permitivity between new phase and init ial phase. When the electric permitivity of precipitating phase is far bigg er than that of the remaining matrix, the electric field will always promot e the generation of second phase. When Delta epsilon > 0 (Delta epsilon = e psilon(1) - epsilon(0), epsilon(1) is the electric permitivity of new phase , epsilon(0) is the electric permitivity of initial phase), electric field will inhibit nucleation of new phase. However, if Delta epsilon < 0, electr ic field will promote the process of nucleation. The effect of electric fie ld on the precipitating process of silver particles in glasses has been inv estigated to test one result of the theoretical analysis. The density of si lver-particles in glasses has been effectively increased, which is in confo rmity with the theoretical analysis. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rig hts reserved.