Sealing Glass‐Ceramics with Near Linear Thermal Strain,Part I: Process Development and Phase Identification

A widely adopted approach to form matched seals in metals having high coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), e.g. stainless steel, is the use of high CTE glass‐ceramics. With the nucleation and growth of Cristobalite as the main high‐expansion crystalline phase, the CTE of recrystallizable lithium silicate Li₂O–SiO₂–Al₂O₃–K₂O–B₂O₃–P₂O₅–ZnO glass‐ceramic can approach 18 ppm/°C, matching closely to the 18 ppm/°C–20 ppm/°C CTE of 304L stainless steel. However, a large volume change induced by the α‐β inversion between the low‐ and high‐ Cristobalite, a 1^st order displacive phase transition, results in a nonlinear step‐like change in the thermal strain of glass‐ceramics. The sudden change in the thermal strain causes a substantial transient mismatch between the glass‐ceramic and stainless steel. In this study, we developed new thermal profiles based on the SiO₂ phase diagram to crystallize both Quartz and Cristobalite as high expansion crystalline phases in the glass‐ceramics. A key step in the thermal profile is the rapid cooling of glass‐ceramic from the peak sealing temperature to suppress crystallization of Cristobalite. The rapid cooling of the glass‐ceramic to an initial lower hold temperature is conducive to Quartz crystallization. After Quartz formation, a subsequent crystallization of Cristobalite is performed at a higher hold temperature. Quantitative X‐ray diffraction analysis of a series of quenched glass‐ceramic samples clearly revealed the sequence of crystallization in the new thermal profile. The coexistence of two significantly reduced volume changes, one at ~220°C from Cristobalite inversion and the other at ~470°C from Quartz inversion, greatly improves the linearity of the thermal strains of the glass‐ceramics, and is expected to improve the thermal strain match between glass‐ceramics and stainless steel over the sealing cycle.     

Glass‐Ceramics in the System BaO–SrO–ZnO–SiO2 with Adjustable Coefficients of Thermal Expansion

Glasses from the system BaO–SrO–ZnO–SiO₂ with different Ba/Sr ratios were characterized regarding crystallization behavior as well as the thermal expansion of almost fully crystallized glasses. Depending on the SrO concentration, different crystalline phases precipitate from the glasses. Those with low SrO concentrations precipitate crystals with the structure of low‐temperature BaZn₂Si₂O₇ as one of the major phases. Higher SrO concentrations cause the formation of Ba_1?xSr_xZn₂Si₂O₇ solid solutions with the structure of high‐temperature BaZn₂Si₂O₇. Both, the low‐ as well as the high‐temperature phase exhibit very different thermal expansion behaviors ranging from a very high coefficient of thermal expansion in the case of the low‐temperature phase to a very low coefficient of thermal expansion in the case of the high‐temperature phase. The glass‐ceramics with the highest and that with the lowest coefficient of thermal expansion measured between 100°C and 800°C show a difference of 7.9 × 10^?6 K^?1, which is caused solely by a substitution of BaO with SrO. In contrast, the maximum variation in the thermal expansion of the glasses was only 1.5 × 10^?6 K^?1. The microstructure of sintered and afterward crystallized glass powders was analyzed via scanning electron microscopy and showed crack‐free samples with low porosity.     

Fabrication of Sr0.5Ba0.5Nb2O6 Nanocrystallite‐Precipitated Transparent Phosphate Glass‐Ceramics

Transparent (Sr_0.5Ba_0.5)Nb₂O₆ (SBN50) nanocrystallite‐precipitated phosphate glass‐ceramics were prepared by a conventional glass‐ceramic process. x(SrO–BaO–2Nb₂O₅) ? (100–4x)P₂O₅ (xSBNP) glasses with a refractive index of 1.9–2.0 exhibited high water resistance owing to the presence of Q⁰ and Q¹ phosphate units. Both bulk and surface crystallization of the SBN50 phase were observed in 20SBNP and 21SBNP glass‐ceramics. Although the nominal content of SBN50 crystals in the 21SBNP glass was larger than that in the 20SBNP glass, the latter exhibited better crystallinity of SBN50 and a higher number density of precipitated SBN nanocrystallites. By tuning the two‐step heat‐treatment and the chemical composition, transparent SBN50‐precipitated glass‐ceramics were successfully obtained. Given that no remarkable increase of the relative dielectric constants was observed after crystallization of the SBN50 nanocrystallites, it is postulated that the relative dielectric constant of the bulk is mainly governed by the amorphous phosphate region, and that the contribution of precipitation of the SBN50 nanocrystallites to the dielectric constant is not very significant in this system.     

BaTiO3–Bi(Mg2/3Nb1/3)O3 Ceramics for High‐Temperature Capacitor Applications

Solid solutions of (1?x)BaTiO₃–xBi(Mg_2/3Nb_1/3)O₃ (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.6) were prepared via a standard mixed‐oxide solid‐state sintering route and investigated for potential use in high‐temperature capacitor applications. Samples with 0.4 ≤ x ≤ 0.6 showed a temperature independent plateau in permittivity (ε_r). Optimum properties were obtained for x = 0.5 which exhibited a broad and stable relative ε_r ~940 ± 15% from ~25°C to 550°C with a loss tangent <0.025 from 74°C to 455°C. The resistivity of samples increased with increasing Bi(Mg_2/3Nb_1/3)O₃ concentration. The activation energies of the bulk were observed to increase from 1.18 to 2.25 eV with an increase in x from 0 to 0.6. These ceramics exhibited excellent temperature stable dielectric properties and are promising candidates for high‐temperature multilayer ceramic capacitors for automotive applications.     

Formation of BaFe12−xNbxO19 and its high electromagnetic wave absorption properties in millimeter wave frequency range

BaFe_12?xNb_xO₁₉ (BFNO, x=0‐0.6) powders with Nb⁵⁺ substituting for Fe³⁺ were prepared by sol‐gel method. The formation process and electromagnetic (EM) wave absorption properties of the BFNO are investigated in detail. With Nb⁵⁺ content increasing from x=0 to x=0.6, the formation temperature of barium ferrite phase without heat time increases from ~700°C to ~900°C, while the appearance temperature of typical plate grains decreases from ~1300°C to ~1100°C, and the crystallization ability decreases at 600°C‐900°C, while the grain size increases gradually at 1100°C‐1300°C. Increasing sintering temperature and time promote the formation of barium ferrite phase and grain growth in all the samples. The ε′ and ε″ of the sample with x=0.6 sintered at 1300°C for 3 hours reach highest of ~7.9 and ~0.95 over 26.5‐40 GHz. Multiresonance peaks in permeability decrease from 40+ GHz to ~30 GHz with x rising from 0 to 0.6. Ultimately, small RL_min of ~?42 dB, thin d_m of ~0.76 mm, and broad bandwidth of >12 GHz can be exhibited simultaneously around millimeter wave atmospheric window of 35 GHz.     

Enhanced pyroelectric properties in (Bi0.5Na0.5)TiO3–BiAlO3–NaNbO3 ternary system lead‐free ceramics

High pyroelectric performance and good thermal stability of pyroelectric materials are desirable for the application of infrared thermal detectors. In this work, enhanced pyroelectric properties were achieved in a new ternary (1?x)(0.98(Bi_0.5Na_0.5)(Ti_0.995Mn_0.005)O₃–0.02BiAlO₃)–xNaNbO₃ (BNT–BA–xNN) lead‐free ceramics. The effect of NN addition on the microstructure, phase transition, ferroelectric, and pyroelectric properties of BNT–BA–xNN ceramics were investigated. It was found that the average grain size decreased as x increased to 0.03, whereas increased with further NN addition. The pyroelectric coefficient p at room temperature (RT) was significantly increased from 3.87 × 10^?8Ccm^?2K^?1 at x = 0 to 8.45 × 10^?8Ccm^?2K^?1 at x = 0.03. The figures of merit (FOMs), F_i, F_v and F_d, were also enhanced with addition of NN. Because of high p (7.48 × 10^?8Ccm^?2K^?1) as well as relatively low dielectric permittivity (~370) and low dielectric loss (~0.011), the optimal FOMs at RT were obtained at x = 0.02 with F_i = 2.66 × 10^?10 m/V, F_v = 8.07 × 10^?2 m²/C, and F_d = 4.22 × 10^?5 Pa^?1/2, which are superior to other reported lead‐free ceramics. Furthermore, the compositions with x ≤ 0.03 exhibited excellent temperature stability in a wide temperature range from 20 to 80°C because of high depolarization temperature (≥110°C). Those results unveil the potential of BNT–BA–xNN ceramics for infrared detector applications.     

Crystallization Kinetics of Superionic Conductive Al(B,La)‐ Incorporated LiTi2(PO4)3 Glass‐Ceramics

For the purpose of developing high‐performance glass‐ceramic superionic conductor, the controllable precipitation of LiTi₂(PO₄)₃‐like superionic conducting phase in the Li₂O–TiO₂–P₂O₅ glass system was studied. Al with B or La co‐incorporated LiTi₂(PO₄)₃‐based glass‐ceramics were prepared by the crystallization of the corresponding original glasses. Compared with the sole Al‐incorporated LiTi₂(PO₄)₃‐based glass‐ceramics, the ionic conductivity shows an increase for the boron co‐incorporated one and a decrease for the lanthanum co‐incorporated one. Through the further in‐depth analysis based on the methods of DSC and X‐ray diffractive technique, this opposite change in ion conductivity was ascribed to the alterations of crystallization mechanism together with quantity of crystal phases within the glass‐ceramics.. The boron addition promoted the precipitation of LiTi₂(PO₄)₃ phase and restrained the precipitation of second phase. The highest ionic conductivity 1.3 × 10^?3 S/cm at 25°C was obtained through the heat treatment of B and Al co‐incorporated glassy samples at 900°C for 12 h. These inorganic solid electrolytes have a potential application in lithium batteries or other electrochemical ionic devices.     

Influence of Al2O3 and B2O3 on Sintering and Crystallization of Lithium Silicate Glass System

This article reports on the effect of Al₂O₃ and B₂O₃ added as dopants on the preparation of glass‐ceramics (GCs) belonging to the lithium silicate glass system. The GCs are prepared by sintering route using glass powders. The reasons for the crystallization of the metastable crystalline phase lithium metasilicate (LS) are discussed and the impact of the dopants on the thermodynamics and kinetics of crystallization is investigated. The addition of dopants modifies the thermodynamic equilibrium of the system and this change is mainly entropy driven and also slowdown the kinetics of crystallization. Differential thermal analysis and hot‐stage microscopy are employed to investigate the glass‐forming ability, sintering, and crystallization behavior of the studied glasses. The crystalline phase assemblage studied under nonisothermal heating conditions in the temperature range of 800°C–900°C in air. Well sintered and dense glass‐ceramics are obtained after sintering of glass powders at 850°C–900°C for 1 h featuring crystalline phase assemblage dominated by lithium disilicate (LS₂).     

Effect of Y doping on microstructure and thermophysical properties of yttria stabilized hafnia ceramics

A series of Y₂O₃-doped HfO₂ ceramics (Hf_1-xY_xO_2-0.5×, x?=?0, 0.04, 0.08, 0.12, 0.16 and 0.2) were synthesized by solid-state reaction at 1600?°C. The microstructure, thermophysical properties and phase stability were investigated. Hf_1-xY_xO_2–0.5x ceramics were comprised of monoclinic (M) phase and cubic (C) phase when Y³⁺ ion concentration ranged from 0.04 to 0.16. The thermal conductivity of Hf_1-xY_xO_2–0.5x ceramic decreased as Y³⁺ ion concentration increased and Hf_0.8Y_0.2O_1.9 ceramic revealed the lowest thermal conductivity of ~?1.8?W/m*K at 1200?°C. The average thermal expansion coefficient (TEC) of Hf_1-xY_xO_2–0.5x between 200?°C and 1300?°C increased with the Y³⁺ ion concentration. Hf_0.8Y_0.2O_1.9 yielded the highest TEC of ~?10.4?×?10^?6 K^?1 while keeping good phase stability between room temperature and 1600?°C.     

Sealing Glass‐Ceramics with Near‐Linear Thermal Strain,Part II: Sequence of Crystallization and Phase Stability

The sequence of crystallization in a recrystallizable lithium silicate sealing glass‐ceramic Li₂O–SiO₂–Al₂O₃–K₂O–B₂O₃–P₂O₅–ZnO was analyzed by in situ high‐temperature X‐ray diffraction (HTXRD). Glass‐ceramic specimens have been subjected to a two‐stage heat‐treatment schedule, including rapid cooling from sealing temperature to a first hold temperature 650°C, followed by heating to a second hold temperature of 810°C. Notable growth and saturation of Quartz was observed at 650°C (first hold). Cristobalite crystallized at the second hold temperature of 810°C, growing from the residual glass rather than converting from the Quartz. The coexistence of quartz and cristobalite resulted in a glass‐ceramic having a near‐linear thermal strain, as opposed to the highly nonlinear glass‐ceramic where the cristobalite is the dominant silica crystalline phase. HTXRD was also performed to analyze the inversion and phase stability of the two types of fully crystallized glass‐ceramics. While the inversion in cristobalite resembles the character of a first‐order displacive phase transformation, i.e., step changes in lattice parameters and thermal hysteresis in the transition temperature, the inversion in quartz appears more diffuse and occurs over a much broader temperature range. Localized tensile stresses on quartz and possible solid‐solution effects have been attributed to the transition behavior of quartz crystals embedded in the glass‐ceramics.     

High‐pressure synthesis of a 12CaO·7Al2O3–12SrO·7Al2O3 solid solution

Solid solutions of 12CaO·7Al₂O₃ (C12A7) and 12SrO·7Al₂O₃ (S12A7) crystals were synthesized under high pressure. X‐ray diffraction patterns revealed that the lattice constants of the synthesized samples depend linearly on the compositional ratio of C12A7 and S12A7. Electron‐probe X‐ray microanalyses show that the chemical compositions of the crystals are represented by xC12A7·(1?x)S12A7 (0<x<1). These results indicate that the variation in the lattice constants is originated from a difference in the ionic radii of Ca²⁺ and Sr²⁺ ions. From impedance measurements, it was found that S12A7 has the highest conductivity (~1 × 10^?3 Scm^?1 at 550°C) among the solid solutions in the C12A7–S12A7 system.     

Competitive Phase Separation to Controllable Crystallization in 80GeS2·20In2S3 Chalcogenide Glass

Glass–ceramics of 80GeS₂·20In₂S₃ were fabricated by heat‐treating the base glass at 402°C (T_g + 30°C) for different durations. The glass–ceramics exhibited some improved mechanical properties such as hardness and resistance to crack propagation, and meanwhile remained an excellent infrared (IR) transmission. The XRD and Raman results showed that only In₂S₃ crystals were precipitated inside glassy matrix. The evolution of two crystallization peaks (CPs) in differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) curves were studied with samples heat‐treated at 402°C for different durations. It was found that the precipitation of In₂S₃ crystal phase is responsible for the low‐temperature (first) CP, whereas the high‐temperature (second) CP shifts to a higher temperature with the elongation of the heat‐treatment duration. The crystallization of the higher temperature phase was inhibited with the precipitation of In₂S₃. Furthermore, crystallization mechanism was investigated using the nonisothermal method. The computed results showed that strictly more energy (higher activation energy, E_c) is essential for the precipitation of the higher temperature phase, which is in accordance with the DSC study of crystallized samples. More noticeable, the crystallization rate constant (K) value of 6.639 × 10^?8 s^?1 for the second CP is ~ 5 orders of magnitude smaller than that of the In₂S₃ phase, and this significant difference makes the crystallization of higher temperature crystal phase very hard. Consequently, controllable crystallization of 80GeS₂·20In₂S₃ chalcogenide glass–ceramics with sole In₂S₃ crystallites can be achieved easily.     

Liquid‐phase sintering,microstructural evolution,and microwave dielectric properties of Li2Mg3SnO6–LiF ceramics

The liquid‐phase sintering behavior and microstructural evolution of x wt% LiF aided Li₂Mg₃SnO₆ ceramics (x = 1‐7) were investigated for the purpose to prepare dense phase‐pure ceramic samples. The grain and pore morphology, density variation, and phase structures were especially correlated with the subsequent microwave dielectric properties. The experimental results demonstrate a typical liquid‐phase sintering in LiF–Li₂Mg₃SnO₆ ceramics, in which LiF proves to be an effective sintering aid for the Li₂Mg₃SnO₆ ceramic and obviously reduces its optimum sintering temperature from ~1200°C to ~850°C. The actual sample density and microstructure (grain and pores) strongly depended on both the amount of LiF additive and the sintering temperature. Higher sintering temperature tended to cause the formation of closed pores in Li₂Mg₃SnO₆‐x wt% LiF ceramics owing to the increase in the migration ability of grain boundary. An obvious transition of fracture modes from transgranular to intergranular ones was observed approximately at x = 4. A single‐phase dense Li₂Mg₃SnO₆ ceramic could be obtained in the temperature range of 875°C‐1100°C, beyond which the secondary phase Li₄MgSn₂O₇ (<850°C) and Mg₂SnO₄ (>1100°C) appeared. Excellent microwave dielectric properties of Q × f = 230 000‐330 000 GHz, ε_r = ~10.5 and τ_f = ~?40 ppm/°C were obtained for Li₂Mg₃SnO₆ ceramics with x = 2‐5 as sintered at ~1150°C. For LTCC applications, a desirable Q × f value of ~133 000 GHz could be achieved in samples with x = 3‐4 as sintered at 875°C.     

Effects of Gd Substitution on Sintering and Optical Properties of Highly Transparent (Y0.95−xGdxEu0.05)2O3 Ceramics

Highly transparent (Y_0.95?xGd_xEu_0.05)₂O₃ (x = 0.15–0.55) ceramics have been fabricated by vacuum sintering at the relatively low temperature of 1700°C for 4 h with the in‐line transmittances of 73.6%–79.5% at the Eu³⁺ emission wavelength of 613 nm (~91.9%–99.3% of the theoretical transmittance of Y_1.34Gd_0.6Eu_0.06O₃ single crystal), whereas the x = 0.65 ceramic undergoes a phase transformation at 1650°C and has a transparency of 53.4% at the lower sintering temperature of 1625°C. The effects of Gd³⁺ substitution for Y³⁺ on the particle characteristics, sintering kinetics, and optical performances of the materials were systematically studied. The results show that (1) calcining the layered rare‐earth hydroxide precursors of the ternary Y–Gd–Eu system yielded rounded oxide particles with greatly reduced hard agglomeration and the particle/crystallite size slightly decreases along with increasing Gd³⁺ incorporation; (2) in the temperature range 1100°C–1480°C, the sintering kinetics of (Y_0.95?xGd_xEu_0.05)₂O₃ is mainly controlled by grain‐boundary diffusion with similar activation energies of ~230 kJ/mol; (3) Gd³⁺ addition promotes grain growth and densification in the temperature range 1100°C–1400°C; (4) the bandgap energies of the (Y_0.95?xGd_xEu_0.05)₂O₃ ceramics generally decrease with increasing x; however, they are much lower than those of the oxide powders; (5) both the oxide powders and the transparent ceramics exhibit the typical red emission of Eu³⁺ at ~613 nm (the ⁵D₀→⁷F₂ transition) under charge transfer (CT) excitation. Gd³⁺ incorporation enhances the photoluminescence and shortens the fluorescence lifetime of Eu³⁺.     

Synthesis of glass–ceramics in the CaO–MgO–SiO2 system with B2O3, P2O5, Na2O and CaF2 additives

Glass–ceramics based on the CaO–MgO–SiO₂ system with limited amount of additives (B₂O₃, P₂O₅, Na₂O and CaF₂) were prepared. All the investigated compositions were melted at 1400 °C for 1 h and quenched in air or water to obtain transparent bulk or frit glass, respectively. Raman spectroscopy revealed that the main constituents of the glass network are the silicates Q¹ and Q² units. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis confirmed liquid–liquid phase separation and that the glasses are prone to surface crystallization. Glass–ceramics were produced via sintering and crystallization of glass-powder compacts made of milled glass-frit (mean particle size 11–15 μm). Densification started at 620–625 °C and was almost complete at 700 °C. Crystallization occurred at temperatures >700 °C. Highly dense and crystalline materials, predominantly composed of diopisde and wollastonite together with small amounts of akermanite and residual glassy phase, were obtained after heat treatment at 750 °C and 800 °C. The glass–ceramics prepared at 800 °C exhibited bending strength of 116–141 MPa, Vickers microhardness of 4.53–4.65 GPa and thermal expansion coefficient (100–500 °C) of 9.4–10.8 × 10⁻⁶ K⁻¹.     

Influence of inverse spinel structured CuGa2O4 on microwave dielectric properties of normal spinel ZnGa2O4 ceramics

Spinel Zn_1‐xCu_xGa₂O₄ (x = 0‐0.15) ceramics were prepared by the conventional solid‐state method. Only a single phase was indexed in all samples. The continuous lattice contraction of ZnGa₂O₄ unit cell was caused by Cu²⁺ substitution, and the lattice parameter shows a linear correlation with the content of Cu. The refined crystal structure parameters suggest that Cu²⁺ preferentially occupies the octahedron site, and the degree of inversion of Zn_1‐xCu_xGa₂O₄ (x = 0‐0.15) ceramics almost equals to the content of Cu²⁺. The relative intensity of A*_1g mode in Raman spectra confirm that the degree of inversion climbed with the growing content of Cu²⁺. The experimental and theoretical dielectric constant of Zn_1‐xCu_xGa₂O₄ ceramics fit well. Zn_1‐xCu_xGa₂O₄ (x = 0.01) ceramics sintered at 1400°C for 2 h exhibited good microwave dielectric properties, with ε_r = 9.88, Q × f = 131,445 GHz, tanδ = 6.85 × 10^?5, and τ_f = ?60 ppm/°C.     

Investigation on Crystallization and Optical Properties of Ca1−xLaxF2+x Glass‐Ceramics

Transparent oxyfluoride glass‐ceramics containing Er³⁺, Yb³⁺:Ca_1?xLa_xF_2+x nanocrystals, which may have potential applications in the fields of solid‐state laser and luminescence, were prepared. Crystallization of Ca_1?xLa_xF_2+x and behavior of Yb³⁺ and Er³⁺ during the heat treatment was investigated. Results showed that alumina content had a significant effect on crystallization of Ca_1?xLa_xF_2+x in the SiO₂–Al₂O₃–CaF₂–LaF₃ system. Due to the size of phase‐separated areas, the size of the crystals during the heat treatment did not change significantly. After crystallization of Ca_1?xLa_xF_2+x in the glass, the majority of Er³⁺ ions incorporated into the Ca_1?xLa_xF_2+x crystals during the heat‐treatment process. Time‐resolved luminescence of Er³⁺ ions in the samples around 842 nm showed that the solubility of Er³⁺ ions in Ca_1?xLa_xF₃ crystals is higher than pure CaF₂ crystals. The glass undergoes an enormous phase separation, which keeps the Yb³⁺ ions within the other separated phase. Therefore, only at high temperatures (790°C) or with a long heat‐treatment time (72 h), there is a possibility for Yb³⁺ ions to be incorporated into the fluorine phase.     

Effects of Nd Content on Structure and Chemical Durability of Zirconolite–Barium Borosilicate Glass‐Ceramics

The effects of Nd₂O₃ content (0–12 wt %) on crystalline phases, microstructure, and chemical durability of barium borosilicate glass‐ceramics belonging to SiO₂–B₂O₃–Na₂O–BaO–CaO–TiO₂–ZrO₂–Nd₂O₃ system were studied. The results show that the glass‐ceramics with 2–6 wt% of Nd₂O₃ possess mainly zirconolite and titanite phases along with a small amount baddeleyite phase in the bulk. Calcium titanate appears when the Nd₂O₃ content increases to 8 wt%, and the amount of quadrate calcium titanate crystals increases with further increasing content of Nd₂O₃. For the glass‐ceramics with 6 wt% Nd₂O₃ (Nd‐6), Nd elements homogeneously distribute in zirconolite, titanite, and residual glass phases. There is a strong enrichment of Nd in calcium titanate crystals for the sample with 10 wt% Nd₂O₃. The viscosity of Nd‐6 glass is about 49 dPa·s at 1150°C. Moreover, Nd‐6 glass‐ceramics show the lower normalized leaching rates of B (LR_B), Ca (LR_Ca), and Nd (LR_Nd) when compared to that of the sample with 8 wt% Nd₂O₃. After 42 days, LR_B, LR_Ca, and LR_Nd of the Nd‐6 glass‐ceramics are about 6.8 × 10^?3, 1.6 × 10^?3, and 4.4 × 10^?6 g·m^?2·d^?1, respectively.     

New Sintered Li2O–Al2O3–SiO2 Ultra‐Low Expansion Glass‐Ceramic

We developed a new Li₂O–Al₂O₃–SiO₂ (LAS) ultra‐low expansion glass‐ceramic by nonisothermal sintering with concurrent crystallization. The optimum sintering conditions were 30°C/min with a maximum temperature of 1000°C. The best sintered material reached 98% of the theoretical density of the parent glass and has an extremely low linear thermal expansion coefficient (0.02 × 10^?6/°C) in the temperature range of 40°C–500°C, which is even lower than that of the commercial glass‐ceramic Ceran^® that is produced by the traditional ceramization method. The sintered glass‐ceramic presents a four‐point bending strength of 92 ± 15 MPa, which is similar to that of Ceran^® (98 ± 6 MPa), in spite of the 2% porosity. It is white opaque and does not have significant infrared transmission. The maximum use temperature is 600°C. It could thus be used on modern inductively heated cooktops.     

Ultra‐Low Fire Glass‐Free Li3FeMo3O12 Microwave Dielectric Ceramics

A new ultra‐low fire glass‐free microwave dielectric material Li₃FeMo₃O₁₂ was investigated for the first time. Single phase ceramics were obtained by the conventional solid‐state route after sintering at 540°C–600°C. The atomic packing fraction, FWHM of the A_g oxygen‐octahedron stretching Raman mode and Qf values of samples sintered at different temperatures correlated well with each other. The sample with a Lower Raman shift showed a higher dielectric constant. Interestingly, the system also showed a distinct adjustable temperature coefficient of resonant frequency (from ?84× 10^?6/°C to 25 × 10^?6/°C).