Cordierite glass-ceramic used for transparent tile glazes

This study aimed at producing a high transparent and colorless cordierite glass-ceramic that is used for a tile glaze with a single firing. Crystallization path of glaze, microstructure development, abrasion performance, microhardness, and the transparency of cordierite glass-ceramic were tested. The results suggested that the high transparency was significantly affected by the number of internal air holes and the crystal scattering loss. The maximum crystalline content of cordierite was nearly 50 wt% at 1200 degrees C. Due to the high crystallization content of cordierite and the bulk crystallization mechanism, the cordierite crystalline glaze has a higher microhardness and abrasion resistance than noncrystalline glaze.