Quantification of Chemical Striae in Inorganic Melts and Glasses through Picture Processing.

Chemical striations occur in various types of inorganic melts like lava and glass melts, and affect the physical properties of materials. This paper reports a quantitative study of the chemical striations in iron-rich aluminosilicate melts and glasses. In this study, an integrated method has been established, which consists of sample preparation, image acquiring, Fourier Transformation, and characteristic value determination. The principle of the established method is illustrated by picture processing-based simulation. The extent of the chemical striations and the diffusion length of the striae can be measured using this method. It is found that the extent of the chemical striations is rather sensitive to the melting technique. Furthermore, the impact of chemical diffusion and stirring on the extent of striations is revealed using the picture processing-based simulation approach. The diffusion process eliminates small striae and reduces the intensity of the larger ones. At a constant temperature, the diffusion determines the transformation rate of an inhomogeneous melt into a homogeneous one. During stirring, the size distribution of the large striae becomes broader, but the overall intensity of the striae becomes smaller. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]