Crystallization kinetics of a soda lime silica glass with TiO2 addition

Studies conducted into Na2O-CaO-3SiO2 glass composition suggest that its phase transformation occurs from the surface towards the interior of the sample. In a study carried out in 1982, it was reported that no addition of nucleating agents modified the mechanism. Taking advantage of the disposition materials synthesized by nanotechnology, in this study TiO2 in nanometer size was used with the idea that, because of its qualities, it could modify the crystallization mechanism. The glasses obtained as well as the thermally treated samples, were evaluated by the X-ray diffraction (XRD) powder method, differential thermal analysis (DTA), and by optical microscopy and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). Within the range of TiO2 concentration studied (0 - 10 wt %), 10 wt % of TiO2 considerably reduced the Na2O-2CaO-3SiO2 phase crystallization process. The crystallization mechanism was not modified and TiO2 did not form compounds with the matrix components. (Author)