Thermal characterization of Se85−xSb15Snx (10≤x≤13) chalcogenide glasses

Results of crystallization kinetics, viscosity, specific heat, thermal stability, and glass forming ability of Se85−xSb15Snx (x=10, 11, 12.5, and 13) chalcogenide glasses, using differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), under non-isothermal condition have been reported and discussed. The variation of the peak temperature of crystallization Tp with the heating rate β has been used to investigate the growth kinetics using Kissinger, Takhor, and Augis-Bennet models. The activation energy of crystallization Ec has been found to increase with Sn content and the crystal growth occurs in one dimension. The increasing trend of Ec is interpreted in terms of enhancement of the degree of cross-linking due to the formation of SnSe4/2 structural units of energies higher than that of Se-Se and Se-Sb bond energies. The viscosity η against 1/T curves has also been drawn and indicated that the atoms of ternary Se-Sb-Sn glasses required more energy, with the addition of Sn, to complete the transformation from amorphous to crystalline state. The demand for thermal stability has been ensured through the calculations of the enthalpy released ΔHc during the crystallization process and S-parameter, while the obtained values of the reduced glass transition temperature Trg and Hurby number HR have been used to estimate the glass forming ability (GFA). Results reveal that, both thermal stability and GFA enhanced with increasing Sn content and the studied samples were prepared from strong glass-forming liquids. The obtained values for the specific heat difference ΔCp, between the equilibrium liquid and the glass, have been found to decrease with increasing Sn content and are in support of the results of thermal stability and GFA.