Incorporation of silver in borosilicate nuclear glass

• The incorporation of silver into borosilicate glasses depends on its redox state. • In oxidized conditions, silver is primarily dissolved in glass under its Ag + form. • High Fe 2 O 3 -contents and high Tmelting promote the precipitation of Ag 0 -particles. • With Ru, Pd present in glass composition, the Ag 0 -fraction forms a Pd-Te-Ag alloy. • The fraction of Ag 0 in Pd-Te beads depends on Fe 2 O 3 -content and cooling rate. This paper investigates the incorporation of silver into borosilicate nuclear glasses, focusing on the effects of glass composition and melting temperature. Results demonstrate that the iron-content and thermal history of the glass are two parameters that influence the oxidation state of silver and therefore its incorporation into the glass matrix. This study shows that in glasses melted under oxidized conditions, silver is primarily dissolved in the glass matrix under its Ag + form. However, high iron-contents and high melting temperatures promote the precipitation, during the glass cooling, of a small proportion of the silver as Ag 0 -particles. In glasses containing platinoids (Ru, Pd), a minority fraction of silver tends to precipitate in its reduced form Ag 0 , along with the Pd-Te alloy even for low iron-contents. This fraction also depends on iron-content.