Phase Separation in glass melts with liquid-liquid immiscibility after rapid cooling under terrestrial conditions and at microgravity

Abstract

Glass melts with a stable (liquid-liquid) miscibility gap tend to form two layers by a Sedimentation process. The heavier phase forms the lower layer, the other the upper layer, in which droplets of the heavier phase become deposited. Cooling of glass melts with stable miscibility gaps under microgravity conditions prevents the Sedimentation. The structure (texture) of glasses cooled under microgravity conditions is compared with that of glasses cooled on earth.