Sintered feldspar glass-ceramics and glass-ceramic matrix composites

摘要

Sintering with simultaneous crystallization of fine glass powders allowed the preparation of dense glass-ceramics based on unusual feldspar crystals (constituted by microcline and orthoclase, KAlSi_3O_8), at a very low temperature (750 deg C) and with limited processing times. Al_2O_3 platelets, added to the glass powders, caused a remarkable improvement of bending strength (exceeding 100 MPa), microhardness (approaching 9 GPa) and fracture toughness (approaching 2 MPa m~(0.5)), even for limited concentrations (which varied from 5 to 15 vol percent). Due to the simple and low cost manufacturing technique, the glass-ceramic matrix composites obtained could find applications in the construction industry.