Replacement of fluorine in mould powders: influence on the crystallization kinetics

Abstract

In the present work mould powders were prepared using different raw materials. One powder was fluorine-containing and the others were free-F. The total fluorine content (approx. 10 wt%) was replaced by different percentages of boron, sodium and lithium oxides. Fluorspar (CaF2), borax anhydrous (Na2B4O7), and lithium carbonate (Li2CO3) were employed as source of fluorine, boron, and lithium, respectively. These powders were milling during 2 hours, then were melted at 1300°C and finally fast cooled onto a stainless steel plate. The amorphous solid layers as obtained were milling to produce glass powders which were tested by DTA at different heating rates: 5, 10, and 15°C/min. Several non-isothermal methods (Kissinger, Augis-Bennet, Ozawa, Cheng) were applied to study their kinetics of crystallization. From these models, different parameters associated to crystal growth, such as the activation energy (Ec), the frequency factor () and the nucleation rate (kc), were determined. Crystallographic phases and crystal size distribution were determined by X-ray diffraction and microscopic observation techniques.