Nucleation at cordierite glass surfaces: Kinetic aspects

Abstract

The surface nucleation of high-quartz sohd Solution crystals at fractured surfaces of glasses of the stoichiometric cordierite composition (2MgO · 2AI₂O₃ · 5SiO₂) was studied by optical microscopy. Particular attention was focused on the nucleation kinetics. A constant nucleation density, Ν ≈ 10⁻⁴ μm⁻², was found not to be significantly influenced by the time and the temperature of nucleation treatment. Even a very fast heating of samples employing heating rates u p to 1200 K/min does not lower Ν substantially. However, for small average crystal diameters ( < 2 0 μm) a distribution of crystal size in the same order of magnitude is detectable indicating a simultaneous appearance of b o t h measurable nucleation rates and growth velocities. It can be concluded that the surface nucleation of µ-cordierite occurs during the thermal treatment from a limited number of preferred nucleation sites; these sites are "used Up" rapidly enough to cause a strong Saturation effect of nucleation, but slow enough to cause a crystal size distribution at the same time. The surface nucleation rate, Is , was calculated from the observed distribution of crystal sizes. Is progressively increases with rising temperature similar to the crystal growth velocity indicating a broad temperature ränge of essential nucleation activity. The latter must be regarded as t he main obstacle to measure or to control surface nucleation density by means of two-step nucleation and growth treatments and must therefore be claimed to be mainly responsible for the observed constancy of N.