Materials Research Bulletin, Vol.30, No.1, 27-41, 1995
The Microstructure and Mechanical-Properties of Sintered Celsian and Strontium-Celsian Glass-Ceramics
In this paper the capability of surface nucleated barium and strontium feldspars glass-ceramics of being sintered was investigated by means of density and porosity measurements, X-ray diffraction measurements, microscopic observations and indentation testing and the results compared with those recorded on the corresponding bulk crystallized samples. The densification degree, higher than 95% of the theoretical density, and the favoured formation of thermally stable crystalline phases, such as celsian and Sr-celsian, with respect to those which present non-linear thermal expansion, hexacelsian, make sintering very useful for the production of low porosity, less than 3 vol%, materials. The microhardness values (470-780 Kg/mm2) and elastic modulus (57-115 GPa) of the sintered glass-ceramics, together with the refractoriness of the developed phases make these systems particularly suitable for structural applications.
Keywords:CRYSTALLIZATION