Soren Lund Jensen

Determination of the fictive temperature for a hyperquenched glass

Based on heat capacity measurements, we propose a simple approach to determine the fictive temperature (Tf) of a hyperquenched glass. The recovered enthalpy of heating is estimated, which equals the released amount of the excess inherent structure energy stored in the glass. The hyperquenching is reached by means of the fiber spinning. We analyze relationships between the released enthalpy, changes in the internal energy, and changes in the configurational entropy.

Fictive temperature, cooling rate, and viscosity of glasses

The physical correlation between the fictive temperature dependence of the cooling rate of the melts and the temperature dependence of the equilibrium viscosity has been found by doing differential scanning calorimetric and viscometric measurements on a silicate melt, and by performing finite element simulations of the fiber drawing from that melt. This correlation is governed by a correlation factor Kc (in Pa K) which is constant and universal for silicate glasses. The factor Kc is obtained in the cooling rate range from 10(-2) to 10(6) K/s and is in good agreement with that theoretically predicted. The physical feature of the correlation is discussed in the paper. When the fictive temperature equals the actual temperature, a linear relation exists between the cooling rate and the Maxwell relaxation rate, the slope of which depends on the fragility of the glass melts. The Avramov equation is extended to describe the cooling rate dependence of the fictive temperature. The cooling rate equation contains only one adjusting parameter, i.e., the fragility parameter alpha.

Physical aging in a hyperquenched glass

We report experimental data on the enthalpy relaxation of a hyperquenched silicate glass subjected to long-time aging (annealing) below the glass-transition temperature (Tg). The relaxation of a hyperquenched glass substantially differs from that of a normally cooled glass. Two mechanisms govern the relaxation of a hyperquenched glass. During relaxation of the first hyperquenched, and afterward aged glass, a relaxation endotherm occurs followed by an exotherm. This is reflected by the occurrence of crossover. By increasing the aging temperature and time, the endotherm becomes more pronounced, while the exotherm gradually disappears. The consequence of this is the shift of the crossover point to higher temperature. The relaxation of the hyperquenched glass at 0.66Tg with the aging time is highly nonexponential.