Properties of sintered glass-ceramics in the diopside–albite system

A series of sintered glass-ceramics belonging to the system diopside–albite, forming by surface crystallization 30, 50 and 65% diopside, was investigated. In order to study the effect of bulk crystallization on the sintering a 0.7% of Cr2O3 as nucleation agent was added in one of the compositions. The crystallization was evaluated by DTA and density measurements and the degree of densification by the linear shrinkage and total porosity. These results were confirmed by SEM and XRD, respectively. The mechanical properties of the final glass-ceramics were measured and discussed as a function of the percentage of crystal phase formed and kind of crystallization (i.e., surface or bulk).