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(Reference retrieved automatically from Web of Science through information on FAPESP grant and its corresponding number as mentioned in the publication by the authors.)

The race within supercooled liquids-Relaxation versus crystallization

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Author(s):
Zanotto, Edgar D. [1] ; Cassar, Daniel R. [1]
Total Authors: 2
Affiliation:
[1] Univ Fed Sao Carlos, Vitreous Mat Lab, Dept Mat Engn, Sao Carlos, SP - Brazil
Total Affiliations: 1
Document type: Journal article
Source: Journal of Chemical Physics; v. 149, n. 2 JUL 14 2018.
Web of Science Citations: 3
Abstract

Can any liquid be cooled down below its melting point to an isentropic (Kauzmann) temperature without vitrifying or crystallizing? This long-standing question concerning the ultimate fate of supercooled liquids is one of the key problems in condensed matter physics and materials science. In this article, we used a plethora of thermodynamic and kinetic data and well established theoretical models to estimate the kinetic spinodal temperature, T-KS (the temperature where the average time for the first critical crystalline nucleus to appear becomes equal to the average relaxation time of a supercooled liquid), and the Kauzmann temperature, T-K, for two substances. We focused our attention on selected compositions of the two most important oxide glass-forming systems: a borate and a silicate-which show measurable homogeneous crystal nucleation in laboratory time scales-as proxies of these families of glass-formers. For both materials, we found that the T-KS are significantly higher than the predicted T-K. Therefore, at ambient pressure, at deep supercoolings before approaching T-K, crystallization wins the race over structural relaxation. Hence, the temperature of entropy catastrophe predicted by Kauzmann cannot be reached for the studied substances; it is averted by incipient crystal nucleation. Our finding that T-KS > T-K for two real glasses corroborate the results of computer simulations for a pressurized silica glass. Published by AIP Publishing. (AU)

FAPESP's process: 13/07793-6 - CEPIV - Center for Teaching, Research and Innovation in Glass
Grantee:Edgar Dutra Zanotto
Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Research, Innovation and Dissemination Centers - RIDC
FAPESP's process: 17/12491-0 - Kinetic processes in glass and formulation of new glasses using machine learning
Grantee:Daniel Roberto Cassar
Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral