IN-SITU INVESTIGATIONS OF SINTERING AND CRYSTALLIZATION OF LITHIUM ALUMINOSILICATE GLASS-CERAMICS

The sintering and crystallization behaviour of a Li2O-Al2O3-SiO2 glass powder containing TiO2 and ZrO2 was investigated by the in-situ measu ring methods of high-temperature dilatometry, high-temperature X-ray d iffractometry and differential thermal analysis at heating rates betwe en 0.5 and 20 K/min. By comparing the results of the different methods the shrinkage could be explained as an overlap of sintering and cryst allization processes. When increasing the heating rate, the sintering and crystallization processes are separated more sharply, so that high er final densities of the sintered samples can be achieved.