Sintering and crystallization behavior of CaMgSi2O6-NaFeSi2O6 based glass-ceramics

We report on the synthesis, sintering, and crystallization behaviors of a glass with a compositioncorresponding to 90 mol % CaMgSi2O6−10 mol % NaFeSi2O6. The investigated glasscomposition crystallized superficially immediately after casting of the melt and needs a high coolingrate _rapid quenching_ in order to produce an amorphous glass. Differential thermal analysis andhot-stage microscopy were employed to investigate the glass forming ability, sintering behavior,relative nucleation rate, and crystallization behavior of the glass composition. The crystalline phaseassemblage in the glass-ceramics was studied under nonisothermal heating conditions in thetemperature range of 850–950 °C in both air and N2 atmosphere. X-ray diffraction studies adjoinedwith the Rietveld–reference intensity ratio method were employed to quantify the amount ofcrystalline phases, while electron microscopy was used to shed some light on the microstructure ofthe resultant glass-ceramics. Well sintered glass-ceramics with diopside as the primary crystallinephase were obtained where the amount of diopside varied with the heating conditions.