Thermal properties and crystallization of MgO–FeOx–P2O5 glasses

Abstract

Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dilatometry and X-ray diffraction have been used to study thermal behavior and stability of glasses prepared simultaneously in Al2O3 or Pt crucibles in compositional series (40 − x)MgO–xFe2O3–60P2O5 within the concentration range of x = 0–40 mol% Fe2O3. Mossbauer spectra showed that all glasses with Fe2O3 contained both Fe(II) and Fe(III) ions. The contamination glasses from alumina crucibles ranged from 0.3 to 0.9 mol% Al2O3. The replacement of MgO by Fe2O3 resulted in a gradual decrease in glass transition temperature and dilatometric softening temperature, whereas thermal expansion coefficient did not change significantly. The DSC curves showed that all glasses crystallize on heating in the broad temperature range ≈ 560–900 °C. Crystallization temperature decreases with increasing Fe2O3 content. The highest tendency toward crystallization was found for the glass containing 40 mol% Fe2O3. X-ray diffraction measurements showed that the major compounds formed by glass crystallization were Mg(PO3)2, Fe(PO3)3, Fe3(P2O7)2 and FePO4. All thermoanalytical studies showed differences in thermal behavior of glasses prepared in Al2O3 or Pt crucibles.