Influence of TiO2 on thermal stability and crystallization kinetics of tellurite glasses within TeO2-Bi2O3-Nb2O5 pseudo-ternary system

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) incorporated tellurite glasses (in composition of TeO2-Bi2O3-Nb2O5) were prepared by melt-quenching method. Thermal properties and crystallization kinetics of glasses as a function of TiO2 content were investigated by employing differential thermal analysis (DTA) method. Reinforcement of the tellurite glass network as well as reduction of glass thermal stability was observed as the TiO2 content increased. The kinetic parameters of the glasses including crystallization activation energy (E) and Avrami parameter (n) were calculated. The result showed that TiO2 as an effective nucleating agent would promote the three-dimensional crystallization in the TeO2-Bi2O3-Nb2O5 glasses by thermal treatment. XRD study demonstrated that the formed crystals in glass matrix belong to Bi4TeO8 phase.