Effect of Sb and Sn additives on the activation energies of glass transition and crystallization in binary Se₈₅Te₁₅ alloy

Abstract

Calorimetric measurements have been performed in glassy Se₇₅Te₁₅M₁₀ (M=Sb, Sn) alloys to study the effect of Sb and Sn additives on the kinetics of glass transition and crystallisation in glassy Se₈₅Te₁₅ alloy. Activation energy of glass transition (E _g) and the activation energy of crystallisation (E _c) have been determined using different non-isothermal methods. An excellent agreement is observed in the values of E _c and E _g for all the non-isothermal methods used in the present study. The composition dependence of the activation energies of glass transition and crystallisation processes shows that the value of E _g is higher in case of Sn additive while the value of E _c is higher in case of Sb additive. The results are explained in terms of Pauling's concept of average heat of atomisation and mean atomic weights of ternary alloys, respectively.

Keywords:

• chalcogenide glasses
• activation energies of glass transition and crystallisation
• amorphous to crystalline phase transition
• DSC technique