Glass-ceramics one-step crystallization accomplished by building Ca2+ and Mg2+ fast diffusion layer around diopside crystal

Abstract

CaOMgOSiO2 (CMS) glass-ceramics preparation normally needs two-step heat treatment (nucleation and crystal growth). In this work, CMS glass-ceramics are successfully produced by one-step heat treatment by building Ca2+ and Mg2+ fast diffusion layer between the residual glass and diopside crystal. High-temperature X-ray diffraction (HTXRD) shows that diopside crystals formed during the crystallization of CMS glass. At the glass layer between diopside crystal and residual glass, an enrichment of Na+ is observed by energy dispersive spectroscopy line scanning (EDSLS), which increases the SiONa bonds that promote Ca2+ and Mg2+ ions diffusion. This layer eventually promotes further growth or ripening of the diopside crystals. Thus, nucleation and crystal growth of the CMS glass proceed continuously at the crystallization peak temperature (Tnc), detected by differential scanning calorimetry. Thereby, one-step crystallization of the CMS glass-ceramics becomes possible and practical.