Microstructural Insights on Lithium Aluminum Silicate (LAS) Glass Ceramics

LAS glass-ceramics stimulate considerable attention in academic and industrial fields due to exceptional properties, such as low thermal expansion coefficient, transparency or superior mechanical strength. We report here an experimental investigation of LAS structure and microstructure using conventional techniques as XRD or S/TEM, but also an innovative technique based on electron diffraction mapping. The later gives a topography of the sample and a clear picture of the distribution between the glass and the spodumene particles. All the data converge towards a model of hard spheres where 75% of the volume is composed of spheroid particles and 25% of the remaining volume is composed of glass, which is present in the inter-particle interstices. These findings provide a new knowledge about the LAS system and may offer useful guidance for other researchers in ceramic community.