摘要 |
<p>The present invention relates to a silicate glass article, such as a glass container, with a modified surface region. The modified surface has, among other advantageous properties, an improved chemical durability, an increased hardness, and/or an increased thermal stability, such as thermal shock resistance. In particular the present invention relates to a process for modifying a surface region of a silicate glass article by heat-treatment at Tg in a reducing gas atmosphere such as H2/N2 (1/99). The concentration of network-modifying cations (NMC) in the surface region of the silicate glass article is lower than in the bulk part, and the composition in the surface region of the network-modifying cations is a consequence of an inward diffusion.</p> |