Diffusion kinetics and structural properties of chemically strengthened titania-doped soda-lime silicate glasses were studied by depth-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and spectrophotometry.

Chemical strengthening (CS) is frequently used to strengthen thin glasses. CS of glass is based on ion exchange of larger ions from a molten salt into glass. Both the ion and counter ion are conventionally monovalent alkali ions.

Diffusion kinetics and structural properties of chemically strengthened titania-doped (TiO2) soda-lime silicate (SLS) glasses were studied by depth-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and spectrophotometry. The glasses were ion exchanged, whereby Na+ in the glass was replaced by K+ in a molten salt bath, at four different treatment temperatures between 350 and 500 °C.

The following samples were prepared and analyzed by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS): (1) SLS, (2) 4.7% TiO2, and (3) 9.9% TiO2. The ion exchange procedure was performed for 5 h at four different temperatures below Tg (350, 400, 450 and 500 °C). Before XPS measurements, the samples were wet-etched using hydrofluoric (HF) acid to produce samples with six different etching depths.

The Raman scattered light was detected in the backscattering configuration employing linear polarization and 2400 lines/mm grating, and a 100x objective lens. Depth profile spectra were collected at six different depths of 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 µm for each glass sample, employing 12 scans with a 10 s exposure time for each scan.

Spectrophotometric measurements were conducted before and after K+/Na+ ion-exchange treatmeatment for 5 h at 500 °C, collected between 300 and 2500 nm.