Crystallization behavior and ionic conductivity of NASICON type glass-ceramics containing different amounts of B2O3

In this research, glass-ceramics belonging to the system of Li2O-TiO2-P2O5 were prepared by the addition of different amounts of B2O3. The glass formation ability of the starting glass materials along with the crystallization trend as well as ionic conductivity of the corresponding glass-ceramics were also examined. Starting glasses were obtained through the melt quenching technique and glass-ceramics specimens were prepared through one-step heat treatment. The glass-ceramic samples were then examined through X-ray diffractometry, differential thermal analysis, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. According to the obtained results, the addition of a 2.5 mol% of B2O3 to the glass composition led to a sharp increase in ionic conductivity at room temperature. So that the bulk conductivity of the specimen heat treated at 950 °C for 2 h was measured to be 1.17 × 10^-3 Scm^-1, which was 10 times bigger than that of the base glass-ceramic with no additive. It also decreased the crystallization temperature and viscosity of the parent glass, resulting in increased crystallinity while further addition of B2O3 drained the conductivity and crystallinity of glass-ceramics.