Structural studies of silicate glasses and melts—applications and limitations of Raman spectroscopy

Raman spectroscopy studies of alkali and alkaline earth silicate glasses and melts are reviewed, and the major Raman bands observed are summarized. To realize the full potential of Raman spectroscopy will require a detailed understanding of their vibrational properties in relation to structure. A number of vibrational calculations have been carried out to address this problem. These are briefly summarized, and some limitations of the method are noted. Systematic variations in bulk properties are examined for viscosity and the immiscibility behavior.