Abstract
The crystallization of $Li_2O-SiO_2$ system glasses and the effect of phase separtion to crystal nucleation were studied. The crystallization temperatures of various glasses were determined by DTA and glasses were nucleation heat treated at the temperatures ranging from 45$0^{\circ}C$ to 5$25^{\circ}C$. These glasses were thengown at $700^{\circ}C$ to observable size in the optical microscope. Crystal nucleation rates of various glasses were obtained by estimating the number of crystals per unit volume. The main crystal phase of these glasses identified by X-ray diffraction was lithium disilicate ($Li_2O$.$2SiO_2$). It was found that the crystal nucleation rate of glass (19.5% $Li_2P$-80.5% $SiO_2$), the nearest composition to lithium disilicate, was higher than other glasses. The opalescence caused by phase separation was observed in the nucleation heat treated glass (16.3% $Li_2O$-83.7% $SiO_2$). The result from nucleation density measurement of this glass indicated that the nucleation was enhanced during early stage of phase separation. The molphologies of crystals in glasses and crystal growth rate at $600^{\circ}C$ were also discussed.