Nanophase Glass‐Ceramics

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Abstract
Future applications for glass‐ceramics are likely to capitalize on designed‐in, highly specialized properties for the transmission, display, and storage of information. Glass‐ceramics with microstructures comprised of uniformly dispersed crystals <100 nm in size offer promise for many potential new applications as well as provide unique attributes for many current products. This paper focuses on two types of nanocrystalline glass‐ceramics: transparent glass‐ceramics and tough, high‐modulus glass‐ceramics with precisely engineered surfaces. Transparent glass‐ceramics are formed from certain aluminosilicate glasses capable of efficient crystal nucleation and slow growth. The key crystalline phases include β‐quartz solid solutions, characterized by low‐thermal‐expansion behavior; spinel, with high hardness and elastic modulus; and mullite, which shows unique chromium‐luminescence behavior.