Surface-induced devitrification of glasses: the influence of elastic strains

• Published in: Journal of non-crystalline solids Vol. 162; no. 1; pp. 26 - 39
• Main Authors: Schmelzer, J, Pascova, R, Möller, J, Gutzow, I
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.09.1993; Elsevier
• Subjects: Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Equations of state, phase equilibria, and phase transitions; Exact sciences and technology; Glass transitions; Physics; Solid-solid transitions; Specific phase transitions; Thermodynamics; Phosphites; Phase transformations; Strains; Crystallization; Glass; Elasticity; Theoretical study; Kinetics; Experimental study; Sodium compounds
• ISSN: 0022-3093; 1873-4812
• DOI: 10.1016/0022-3093(93)90738-J

The influence of elastic strains on devitrification processes in glasses is investigated. It is known that in the vicinity and below the vitrification temperature, T g, thermodynamic inhibition of crystallization has to be taken into account in addition to kinetic inhibition of crystallization connected with the extremely low values of the mobility (large values of the viscosity). This thermodynamic inhibition results from the evolution of elastic fields due to a difference in the specific volumes of the vitreous and crystalline states of the substance. The inhibiting term is of the same order of magnitude as the thermodynamic driving force of crystallization (and may even exceed it). It is considerably diminished for devitrification at the surface of a glass. In this way, elastic strains can be considered as the origin both for the absence of bulk devitrification and for preferential surface crystallization of glasses in systems with different specific volumes of the vitreous and crystalline states.