Effect of surface cleaning prior to chemical strengthening process of glass

Abstract

Abstract This work focuses on the effect of surface cleaning treatments of soda‐lime‐silicate float glasses before chemical strengthening where a compressive stress layer is introduced via ion exchange. As‐received and cleaned glass surfaces were subjected to two different treatments using demineralized water and acidic solutions were subjected to ion exchange in a molten KNO 3 bath for 8 hours at 450°C. Precleaning treatment leads to a relative enhancement of the potassium surface concentration following chemical strengthening as compared to the uncleaned samples, also reflecting in altered surface stress profiles and case depth. These observations provide guidance for optimal pretreatment conditions of glass for chemical strengthening. Appropriate cleaning treatments can result in higher achievable fracture loads of subsequently chemically tempered glasses in ring‐on‐ring biaxial bending tests.