Structural Correlations and Mechanical Behavior in Nanophase Silica Glasses

Sintering, structural correlations and mechanical behavior of nanophase silica glasses are investigated using large-scale, parallel molecular-dynamics simulations. During the sintering process, the pore sizes and distribution change without any discernible change in the pore morphology. The height and position of the first sharp diffraction peak in the neutron static structure factor shows significant differences in the nanophase glasses relative to the bulk silica glass. The effect of densification on mechanical properties is also examined.