Effect of Crystallization on Thermal Conductivity and Specific Heat of Two Corning Glass-Ceramics

A magnesium aluminosilicate glass-ceramic (Corning Code 9606) has been heat-treated at 900°, 1010°, 1200°, and 1260°C for up to 90 min., and the effect on the thermal conductivity between 30 and 300 K has been studied. It has been shown that the large increase of the thermal conductivity which results from the ceramming occurs predominantly when crystalline cordierite forms. At 1260°C, heat treatment for only 20 min leads to a thermal conductivity identical to that measured for commercial 9606, which has been cerammed for 8 h at the same temperature. This observation provides further evidence for the usefulness of commercial 9606 as a thermal conductivity standard. Measurements of the specific heats of Code 9606 before and after ceramming have been reviewed and have been found to be close to that of crystalline SiO₂ above ～ 30 K, regardless of the state of ceramming. A review has also been made of thermal conductivity and specific heat of several ZrTiO₄ nucleated lithium aluminosilicate glass-ceramics at various states of ceramming. The thermal conductivity of these glass-ceramics seems to be sufficiently independent of chemical composition as well as of the degree of crystallization to warrant a recommended curve for this class of glass-ceramics.