Published online by Cambridge University Press: 14 February 2012
The density, Vickers microhardness and crystallization fraction of glass-ceramic materials synthesized from parent glasses are determined in which CaO is gradually substituted by SrO. The chemical composition (in mol.%) of the parent glasses is 54SiO2-(23-X)CaO-12MgO-5Al2O3-6CaF2-XSrO, where X is the employed CaO substitution level (X = 0, 3, 6 and 9 mol.%, with X = 0 corresponding to the reference material). In order to determine the type of crystallization occurring in the glass-ceramic samples, as well as the crystalline phases formed in them, these are characterized by both Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM/EDS) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD). Independently of the CaO substitution level employed, the glass-ceramics show the formation of a solid solution corresponding to diopside-type pyroxene, with chemical formula Ca(Mg,Al)(Al,Si)2O6, as a single crystalline phase. The synthesized glass-ceramic materials with the reference composition show the highest Vickers microhardness and crystallization fraction, as well as the lowest density.