Within the Fe₂O₃–BaO–Al₂O₃–SiO₂ glass system, the influence of different fluorine source and TiO₂ on the crystallisation behaviour and thermal expansion characteristics has been investigated. These aluminosilicate glasses, with different nucleation catalysts (TiO₂, AlF₃ and NH₄F), were successfully prepared from Saudi Arabia raw materials (red clay and magnesite). Thermal behaviour, crystalline phases, microstructures, and thermal expansion coefficient were studied by DTA, XRD, SEM techniques, as well as a dilatometer. Spinel, hexacelsian, monocelsian, kinoshitalite, and Ba-osumilite were developed in glass ceramic samples. Spinel was the early phase formed in all glasses; however, with increasing temperature, hexacelsian and kinoshitalite were developed in fluorine free glasses and fluorine containing glasses respectively. Ba-osumilite was developed and hexacelsian was converted into monocelsian during lengthy heat treatment at 1150°C. A bulk crystalline microstructure was obtained; however, a microscale structure was observed in fluorine free samples and a homogeneous nanoscale microstructure was developed in fluorine containing samples. The coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) varied according to the phases and the heat treatment parameters. Development of spinel, hexacelsian and kinoshitalite in glass ceramic samples gave CTE values between 86·44 × 10⁻⁷ and 52·53 × 10⁻⁷°C⁻¹, whereas crystallisation of Ba-osumilite and monocelsian gave CTE values between 51·29 × 10⁻⁷ and −7·35 × 10⁻⁷°C⁻¹.

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Influence of fluorine source and TiO 2 on glass ceramics based on red clay and magnesite