Mechanical properties of α-cordierite and β-spodumene glass-ceramics prepared by sintering and crystallization heat treatments

Abstract The α-cordierite and β-spodumene glass-ceramics containing B 2 O 3 , P 2 O 5 , and/or TiO 2 were produced in a bar shape by hot pressing and crystallization heat treatments of glass powders. Various physical properties of the glass-ceramics were examined. The α-cordierite glass-ceramics showed intrinsic high mechanical property values, whereas the β-spodumene glass-ceramics showed rather low ones. The relatively low density in β-spodumene glass-ceramics would lead to the low mechanical property values. This low density in the β-spodumene glass-ceramics would result from a possible premature crystallization which might hinder a completion of sintering of the matrix. The glass-ceramics without TiO 2 showed slightly higher mechanical properties than those with TiO 2 . This difference would result from slightly higher density in the glass-ceramics without TiO 2 .