Abstract
The kinetics of crystallization in Se75S25-xCdx (x=0, 2,4,6 and 8) chalcogenide glasses are studied by non-isothermal methods using differential scanning calorimetery at different heating rates of 5, 10, 15 and 20 K/min. The growth kinetics has been investigated using Kissinger, Matusita and Ozawa models. The values of glass transition temperature (T-g), and crystallization temperatures (T-c) are found to be composition and heating rate dependence. From the heating rate dependence of T-g and T-c, the activation energy for structural relaxation (Delta E-t), the activation energy of crystallization (Delta E-c), crystallization enthalpy (Delta H-c) and the order parameter (n) are calculated. It was observed that the glass transition temperature and crystallization temperatures both increase with increasing heating rates. It was observed that Se75S25 has a minimum value of activation energy of structural relaxation, which indicates that this particular glass has a larger probability to jump to a state of lower configurational energy and higher stability in the glassy region. On the basis of the obtained experimental data the temperature difference (T-c - T-g) and the enthalpy released are found to be minimum and maximum, respectively for Se75S21Cd4 glass, which indicates that this glass is the least stable glass in the composition range of investigation. (C) 2009 Published by Elsevier B.V.