Structure and crystallization behaviour of some MgSiO3-based glasses

We report on the structure and crystallization behaviour of four enstatite based glasses. Two glasses with nominal compositions of Y0.125Mg0.875Si0.875B0.125O3 and Y0.125Mg0.725Ba0.15Si0.875B0.125O3 were prepared as parent glasses while the other two glasses were derived by the addition of 8 wt.% Al2O3 to the parent glass compositions, respectively. Structural features of the glasses were accessed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Non-isothermal crystallization kinetics and thermal stability of Al2O3-free glasses were studied using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). It has been shown that these glasses exhibit higher activation energy of viscous flow and are prone to surface crystallization. Activation energy of crystallization decreases with the addition of BaO in the glasses. Crystallization behaviour of all the experimental glasses in the temperature range of 800–1000 °C was followed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and FTIR. Clinoenstatite and orthoenstatite were the major crystalline phases in the BaO-free glass-ceramics while BaO-containing compositions featured the early formation and stabilization of protoenstatite.