Non-isothermal crystallization in Ga–Se–Ag chalcogenide glass by differential scanning calorimetry

The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) technique has been used to study the kinetics of amorphous to crystalline phase transformation in Ga15Se75Ag10 glass, prepared by rapid quenching method. The glass transition temperature and the crystallization temperature are found to be dependent on the heating rates. The dependence of the characteristic temperatures, glass transition temperature (Tg) and the crystallization onset temperature (Tc) on the heating rates are utilized to determine the activation energies for the glass transition (ΔEg) and crystallization (ΔEc). The transformation mechanism has been examined using the local Avrami exponents, which indicate the volume nucleation with two dimensional growths is responsible for the transformation process. The calculated values of ΔEc and ΔEg are found to be 134.63 and 152.51 kJ/mol respectively.

► Ag doped glasses can be used as optical memory, materials for holography.
► Phase transformation is due to volume nucleation with two dimensional growths.
► XRD and FESEM have been used to study the transferred phase.
► Tg and Tc are found to be dependent on the heating rates.