Controllability study of crystallization on whole visible-transparent chalcogenide glasses of GeS2-Ga2S3-CsCl system

Phase transformation and nucleation-rate-like curve were firstly determined in chalcogenide glasses based on GeS2-Ga2S3-CsCl system, offering a controlled way to the transparent glass-ceramics with designed-in crystal phases and desired microstructure. The whole visible transparent glass of a composition of 25GeS(2)center dot 35Ga(2)S(3)center dot 40C5Cl was specified for a demonstration of the controlled crystallization. The expected crystal phases (Ga2S3 crystals) with a very fine size of similar to 50 nm were achieved successfully, more impressively with a large crystallinity degree of > 80%. An IR-transmitting glass-ceramic with the well improved resistance to the environmental impact was also obtained after a heat-treatment at 350 degrees C for 30h. And the nonlinear evolution of the thermo-mechanical properties for the resultant glass-ceramics is elucidated by the structural investigation employing SEM, XRD, and NMR techniques. The corresponding results would have benefit for the optimization of designing transparent chalcogenide glass-ceramics with highly specialized properties for many potential new applications in IR spectral region.