Reactivity of vitreous silica in contact with liquid metals

A study dealing with the reactivity of vitreous silica in contact with various molten silver alloys under different physico-chemical conditions is presented. Contact angle and work of adhesion data of silver-oxygen alloys are presented and the role played by oxygen, germanium, and zirconium in promoting adhesion is widely discussed. A characterization of the resulting interfaces have been performed by means of scanning electron microscopy, electron probe microanalysis, and X-Rays diffraction.