Morphology and dispersion state of Ba2TiSi2O8 nanocrystals in transparent glass-ceramics and their nanoindentation behavior

The morphology and dispersion state of Ba₂TiSi₂O₈ (BTS) nanocrystals in transparent glass-ceramics (composition: 40BaO–20TiO₂–40SiO₂) were examined from high resolution transmission electron microscope observations, and their nano-scale deformation behavior was examined using Berkovich nanoindentation technique (standard-type and continuous stiffness measurement (CSM)-type). In the early stage of crystallization, BTS crystalline layers with a thickness of ~ 120 nm were formed at the surface and ellipsoid-shaped crystallites with a diameter of 100–200 nm were dispersed in the glass matrix. In the late stage, BTS crystals with a diameter of 200–400 nm were formed densely, but a glassy phase was present between BTS crystals. The Young's modulus evaluated from CSM-type nanoindentation measurements for a deformation scale of about 100 nm shows the values of 98 GPa for the glass and 110 GPa for the glass-ceramics with nanocrystals. It was suggested that CSM-type measurements are very sensitive in the nano-scaled homogeneity in the heat-treated samples.