Glass is a material with a long history and significant impact on the development of civilization. From its discovery and use in toolmaking by the earliest peoples to its development in ancient Egypt and industrialization during Roman times, glass has remained a critical material that has never faded. Our modern times have even been classed "the Age of Glass" due to its ubiquity in everyday life, from obvious objects like windows to omnipresent phone and television display screens. Glasses of various compositions are being developed and used in batteries, nuclear waste, bone repair, lasers, medicine, and a myriad of other modern applications. Yet, despite its history and scientific importance, the structure of various glass families and the essential connection between their amorphous networks and their useful properties remain open questions. This presentation will cover the importance of this material and report on studies of its fundamental structure using laser ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. We will also cover the thermodynamic properties and physical behavior, like atomic packing. All questions on glass — at any level — will be welcome.
This work was supported by Argonne National Laboratory under contract 3F-32104, by the National Science Foundation through grants DMR-CER-1407404, DMR-CER-2203142 and DMR-CER-1746230.
Mario Affatigato obtained his undergraduate degree from Coe College in 1989, followed by his Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University in 1995. He has developed a research effort primarily investigating the relationship between the optical properties and structure of glassy materials. He has worked with over 100 undergraduates in projects that include laser-induced modification and exotic manufacturing methods like aerolevitation. His research primarily deals with oxide glasses, especially vanadates, borates, and samples with heavy metals. Affatigato is a past recipient of the APS Prize for Research at an undergraduate institution, a PECASE award from the National Science Foundation (NSF), a SEED Award from the Research Corporation, as well as other research grants from industry, NSF and the Research Corporation. He is a fellow of the American Ceramic Society and the UK Society of Glass Technology, and a Research Corporation Cottrell Scholar. Currently he holds the Fran Allison and Francis Halpin Professorship at Coe College, is the editor in chief of the International Journal of Applied Glass Science, and the current president of the American Ceramic Society.
Join us on Friday, March 27, for this exciting presentation from Affatigato. Lunch will be available in Hayes 216 from 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., and the presentation will begin in Hayes 211/213 at 12:10 p.m. We hope to see you there!