Crystallization Mechanism and Kinetics of BaO-Li2O-ZrO2-SiO2 Glasses

Differential thermal analysis and scanning electron microscopy were used to determine the influence of the addition of BaO on the crystallization mechanism of Li2O-ZrO2-SiO2 systems. As the concentration of BaO in the samples increased, a transition occurred in the predominant crystallization mechanism, which passed from superficial to volumetric. To determine the maximum nucleation rate, the crystallization kinetics of the sample containing 20 mole % BaO, which showed the most uniform crystallization, was studied by counting the nuclei with an image analyzer. The first nuclei appeared at the ...