Customizing the properties of borosilicate foam glasses via additions under low sintering temperatures with insights from molecular dynamics simulations

Abstract We computationally and experimentally investigate the impact of a series of additions to the physical and mechanical behaviors of borosilicate foam glasses sintered at low temperatures for customized engineering needs. A trend of enlarging and reducing in density and strength is shown when adding Ca(NO3)2 and Ba(NO3)2, and constantly increasing trends are found for CaSO4 and CaCO3. The molecular mechanism of the CaCO3-added foam glasses is elucidated with molecular simulations, where the enlarged strength and density are attributable to more uniformly distributed pore microstructures. The reinforcing effects of mullite fibers are explored, where a general trend of enlarging in density and strength is shown. Total porosity and volume-absorption rate are inversely correlated with strength and density, respectively, guiding a potential pathway for targeted design. By understanding the effects of pore microstructures, this study establishes a novel material process-structure-property perspective, inspiring future efforts in mass-producing low cost, high-performance environmentally friendly materials.