Crystallization and Glass-Ceramics

Abstract

Glass-ceramics are innovative technological materials made up of crystals dispersed in a glass matrix. This dual feature enables the combination of the advantages of glass, mostly ease of shaping/forming, with the specific properties of crystalline phases. Since their discovery in the 1950s, numerous studies have been devoted to glass crystallization mechanisms. Such an understanding is of primary importance to further design glass-ceramics with tailored properties that are closely related to their microstructure. This chapter will thus start with a description of the different nucleation and growth processes. Some practical examples will be provided to illustrate the particular interest of nucleating agents and phase separation in order to master nucleation and growth processes. A brief overview of the complementary characterization techniques used to finely describe the multiscale structure of these glass-ceramic materials will then be presented. Finally, the large range of accessible glass-forming compositions and microstructures will be illustrated by a variety of technological materials combining mechanical, thermal, optical, energetic, and bioactive properties.