Effect of Bi2O3 content on sintering and crystallization behavior of low-temperature firing Bi2O3-B2O3-SiO2 glasses

The sintering behavior of a Pb-free Bi2O3-B2O3-SiO2 glass system was examined as a function of Bi2O3 content. The glass transition temperature and the crystallization temperature of the glasses decreased with different decreasing gradients as the Bi2O3 content increased. The change in temperature affected the sintering behaviors of the glasses. In the case of the 40mol% Bi2O3 addition, large pore accompanied over-firing phenomenon was observed when the sample was sintered over the optimum sintering temperature. However, over-firing was not observed in the sample with 45 mol% of Bi2O3 because of the crystallized phases during sintering. When the Bi2O3 content was 50-55 mol%, the crystallization temperature became lower than the glass transition temperature, which resulted in the crystallization of glass and it hindered densification. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.