Glass stability (GS) of chemically complex (natural) sub-alkaline glasses

Glass stability (GS) indicates the glass reluctance or ability to crystallise upon heating; it can be characterised by several methods and parameters and is frequently used to retrieve glass-forming ability (GFA) of corresponding liquids as the case with which such liquids can be made crystal free via melt-quenching. Here, GS has been determined for the first time on six sub-alkaline glasses having complex (natural) compositions, the most widespread and abundant on Earth. KT, KH, KW, KLL and w2 GS parameters increase linearly and monotonically as a function of SiO2, with very high correlations. Moreover, Tx values and GS parameters highly correlate with GFA via Rc (critical cooling rate), previously determined with ex-situ cooling-induced experiments. Therefore, GS scales with GFA for natural silicate compositions. In addition, the in-situ Rc value of B100 measured with DSC results > 45 °C/min (> 2700 °C/h), broadly corroborating the Rc of about 150 °C/min (9000 °C/h) determined ex-situ. In turn, relevant solidification parameters on heating or cooling can be obtained by DSC investigations also for chemically complex (natural) systems, similar to simple silicate systems. These outcomes are relevant for lavas or magmas that re-heat glass-bearing volcanic rocks, as well as for fabricate glass-ceramic materials with desirable texture and composition of phases starting from abundant and very cheap raw volcanic rocks.