The effect of an electric field on the phase separation of Ag-doped glass

By means of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the phase separation progress of boracic silicate glass doped with silver upon application of an electric field heat treatment is investigated. The experiment results show that externally applied electric field promotes the phase separation of the glass and influences the size of the droplet phase. We propose a new model based on the static electromagnetics theory and the thermodynamic theory to explain these phenomena.