Frontiers in Sintering of Glass Ceramics

Dear Colleagues,

Conventional glass ceramics start from a two-step thermal treatment of nucleation and crystal growth. Although undoubtedly widespread, this route presents some disadvantages: the treatment is quite difficult and expensive, and it is sometimes particularly slow, so that catalysts (TiO₂, Cr₂O₃, etc.) are needed. In addition, the removal of defects (such as gas bubbles) in the parent glass is essential for the achievement of strong glass ceramics, so long fining times are required.

A secondary glass ceramics manufacturing route, that of sintered glass ceramics (sinter-crystallization), was established in the 1960s. Finely powdered glass is generally pressed and sintered, the crystallization occurring together with densification. Since free glass surfaces are preferred sites for devitrification, crystallization may occur without catalysts. The parent glass being provided in powdered form, long fining times are not needed, thus drastically reducing the costs of preliminary glass-making.

This method is developing dynamically and offers the possibility of extending the application range of these advanced materials to different fields such as medicine, electronics, the military industry, the building industry or the vitrification of nuclear and industrial wastes. During sinter-crystallization, the densification and phase formation occur simultaneously and take place in the same temperature range. As a result, information on the relationship between these two processes is fundamental for the understanding and the control of the synthesis of these materials. Usually, these two processes are studied separately and different opinions for the correct selection of parent glass and suitable production cycle exist; a general theory, which successfully explains the different types of sinter-crystallization, has not yet been fully developed.

This Special Issue addresses several topics related to the sintering of glass ceramics, including, but not limited to, sintering mechanisms, viscous flow, sinter-crystallization, densification, crystallization (nucleation and crystal growth), synthesis processes, glass ceramics from wastes, testing and characterization, etc. Articles and reviews dealing with these topics are very welcome.

Prof. Dr. Arnaldo Vicente Moreno Berto
Guest Editor

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• glass ceramics
• sintering
• sinter-crystallization
• synthesis process