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The current knowledge of the structuresof silicate slags is summarisedand the relationships between measuresof the depolymerisation of the melt and various physical properties are examined. It is shownthat the optical basicity whencorrected for the cations required to charge-balanceany AIO~ tetrahedra present, provides a reasonable measureof the depolymerisation of the melt and has the advantage over the (NBO/T) ratio that it compensatesfor cation effects, It is shownthat the depolymerisation of the meit is the primary factor affecting most physical properties, the cationshaving only a secondary effect. The relationships betweenstructure andthe viscosity, electrical andthermal conductivity, diffusion coefficient, density, thermal expansion coefficient, thermodynamicand optical properties of melts are discussed.