Role of B2O3 on the Viscosity and Structure in the CaO-Al2O3-Na2O-Based System

The effect of B2O3 on the viscosity and structure in the calcium-aluminate melt flux system containing Na2O was studied. An increase in the B2O3 content at fixed CaO/Al2O3 ratio lowered the viscosity. Higher CaO/Al2O3 ratio at fixed B2O3 content also decreased the viscosity. The alumino-borate structures were confirmed through Fourier transformed infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy and consisted of [AlO4]-tetrahedral structural units, [BO3]-triangular structural units, and [BO4]-tetrahedral structural units, which could be correlated to the viscosity. At fixed CaO/Al2O3 ratio, B2O3 additions decreased the [AlO4]-tetrahedral structural units and transformed the 3-D network structures such as pentaborate and tetraborate into 2-D network structures of boroxol and boroxyl rings by breaking the bridged oxygen atoms (O-0) to produce non-bridged oxygen atoms (O-) leading to a decrease in the molten flux viscosity. At fixed B2O3 contents and higher CaO/Al2O3 ratio, 3-D complex network structures become 3-D simple and 2-D isolated network structures, resulting in lower viscosities. The apparent activation energy for viscous flow varied from 132 to 249 kJ/mol according to the composition of B2O3 and CaO/Al2O3 ratio.