Non-isothermal crystallization kinetics of Se_90-xTe₁₀M_x (M = In, Pb, Zn; x = 0, 5) chalcogenide glasses using differential scanning calorimetry

This work reports the non-isothermal crystallization kinetics study of Se_90-xTe₁₀M_x (M = In, Pb, Zn; x = 0, 5) chalcogenide glasses using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). We investigated the influence of composition and heating rate β on the glass transition temperature T_g and crystallization temperature T_c. Activation energy for crystallization E_c and activation energy associated with glass transition E_t were calculated using various theoretical models, including Kissinger, Augis-Bennett, and Mahadevan methods, with results indicating consistency across the different approaches. The Avrami exponent n determined suggested that bulk nucleation with one-dimensional growth is a predominant mechanism in the Se₉₀Te₁₀ and Se₈₅Te₁₀Zn₅ samples while surface nucleation is inferred in Se₈₅Te₁₀In₅ and Se₈₅Te₁₀Pb₅ alloys. The study reveals that the metal impurities added to Se₉₀Te₁₀ reduce its thermal stability as shown by lower glass-forming ability and thermal stability parameters. These findings provide valuable insights into potential applications of Se-Te glasses with metal additives.