glaskristalline

Glaskristalline, often referred to in English as glass-ceramics, denotes a class of materials produced by controlled crystallization of a base glass to yield a two-phase microstructure consisting of crystalline phases embedded in a glassy matrix. They combine aspects of both glasses and ceramics and are used across several industries.

The typical fabrication involves melting a glass composition, shaping it into a desired form, and then applying a tailored heat treatment that promotes nucleation of crystals followed by controlled growth. The resulting microstructure contains crystals ranging from tens of nanometers to a few micrometers, distributed within the remaining glass.

This structure imparts properties that average glass or ceramic alone do not exhibit. If the crystalline phase is fine and evenly distributed, glass-ceramics can be transparent or translucent while offering high hardness, strength, and dimensional stability. They also typically show low to moderate thermal expansion and enhanced resistance to thermal shock, though brittleness can remain.

Applications include cookware and stoveware, where heat resistance and thermal stability are important; dental restorations such as crowns and veneers; dielectric substrates in electronics; and specialized engineering components. The ability to tailor crystal types and sizes allows designers to balance transparency, toughness, and thermal performance.

Common families include lithium disilicate-based glass-ceramics and various aluminosilicate and silicate systems. Commercial examples are used in medicine, optics, and consumer products.

The glass-ceramic concept emerged in the mid-20th century as a method to generate ceramic properties without fully crystalline ceramics. Since then, research has focused on nanocrystal distributions, crystallization kinetics, and interface chemistry to improve toughness, transparency, and resistance to aging.