Crystalline phase characterization of glass-ceramic glazes

The firing process of five raw crystalline frits was investigated by means of DTA, XRD, heating microscopy and dilatometry. The chemical composition of the frits was determined by FAAS, to define the main glass-ceramic system of each frit. The final crystalline structure detected for the sintered frits conformed to the temperatures for which transformations were obtained during heating. The existence of a relationship between the crystallization process and sintering behaviour was confirmed. During devitrification, the sintering process stops, confirming that crystalline formation affects the sintering behaviour of the frits. In this case, the thermal properties of the final product are not only dependent on oxide composition but also on the crystalline phases. It was established that the addition of adequate compounds could induce the formation of crystalline phases on some glass-ceramic frits. (C) 2005 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved.