Development of high hardness and toughness glass-ceramics

• Grant number: 12/22893-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: January 01, 2013
• End date: June 30, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Materials and Metallurgical Engineering - Nonmetallic Materials
• Principal Investigator: Edgar Dutra Zanotto
• Grantee: Carlos Eduardo de Meo
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Exatas e de Tecnologia (CCET). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

When subjected to thermal heat treatments at temperatures near or above the glass transition temperature (Tg), glass materials can undergo a process called crystallization, which is controlled by nucleation and crystal growth, originating a glass-ceramic. This process, when controlled, is often used to modify the properties of the parent glass, making it, for example, tougher or harder. Therefore, the glass ceramics have been gaining prominence in various sectors such as aerospace, sophisticated household items and ballistic protection, among others. This study aims to develop glass-ceramics with high hardness and toughness from a glass of the MgO Al2O3 SiO2; MAS system. For this, thermal heat treatments are conducted to promote the controlled crystallization of the material and, thus, evaluate, through Vickers microhardness tests, the values of hardness and fracture toughness and its correlation with the microstructure. (AU)