Structure in Nitrate Glasses - Nonrandom Ion Distribution in Glasses of the Type Mⁱⁱ(NO₃)₂/NH₄NO₃

Abstract

Several glasses of the nitrates of Mg²⁺, Cd²⁺ and Ca²⁺ with ammonium nitrate have been studied. The factors influencing the variation of the vibrational band associated with the symmetrical stretching motion are discussed. The profile for this vibrational band is component-band-analysed with the aid of time correlation functions and theta functions and it is shown that for all systems several band components are present. Some of these are clearly best described as arising from environments in which the anion is associated with cations of both charge types while other bands are more probably associated with essentially isotropic cation environments of one charge type. There is shown to be little contribution from hot bands in the band profile.