Anomalous Flow In Glasses.

Viscosity and elasticity measurements give an insight into the structure of glasses. For every temperature there is an equilibrium viscosity characteristic of the stabilized glass, but a long time may be necessary before equilibrium is reached. When stabilised glass is subjected to a constant stress, the elongation is a summation of elastic adjustment and viscous flow. Elasticity data are given for soda-silica and potash-silica glasses. The superposition of dependant relaxation processes of different characteristic rates give rise to anomalous elastic reversals. A comparison is drawn between a typical dielectric absorption curve for glass and the drift in the ice point of glass thermometers when subjected to various temperatures.