When a glass is exposed to the atmosphere the combined action of water & environmental elements leads to the weathering of the glass surface. Both the chemical composition of the glass & environmental parameters influence the mechanism of glass weathering mainly consisting in the formation of a layer of hydrated leached glass & salt deposits. The study of this phenomena is very important for both industrial & cultural heritage applications. In order to study the weathering mechanism of glasses exposed outdoor the chemical composition of the glass & the chemical/mineralogical nature of the reaction products should be determined. X-ray micro-analytical techniques such as Scanning Electron Microscopy & X-ray microanalysis (SEM-EDX) & Electron Probe Micro Analyser (WD-EPMA) are traditionally employed in this type of investigation. Nevertheless particular compounds are hardly detected with this technique (for ex. nitrates) and no direct information can be obtained on the mineralogical features of the reaction products.
