Significant advances have been made during the last 15 years in our understanding of glass surfaces & their environmental reactivity. The major reason for this advancement is the large array of surface analytical techniques that has been developed and applied to many industrial problems. One specific area of research where surface analysis has been proven valuable is glass corrosion. Until recently, the principal methods for studying degradation of glasses were weight loss measurements & solution analytical techniques. Neither of these provide information on surface alterations resulting from corrosion. Consequently, very little was known about the variety of mechanisms by which glass corrosion occurs. Currently,a multi-technique approach is being used in many laboratories around the world in order to achieve a better understanding of corrosion on glasses designed for immobilizing nuclear wastes. Similar approaches are being taken to solve problems related to conventional glass fabrication, glass preservation, & to new glass manufacturing processes based on sol-gel technology. In this paper, several techniques which are being routinely used to characterize glass surfaces are discussed.
