Abstract
Crystallization behavior of α-AgI from melts and glasses in the system AgI-Ag2O-B2O3 (Ag2O/B2O3=3) was investigated by means of X-ray diffraction and field emission type scanning electron microscopy. Microcrystals of α-AgI were formed by rapid quenching of melts with 80mol% AgI and also by heating of the glasses with the largest amount (78mol%) of AgI in the glass-forming region. The crystallization process of α-AgI from rapid quenching of melts and heating of glasses was very similar to each other and is summarized as follows: (1) AgI-rich amorphous particles with 40-100nm in diameter dispersively formed, (2) amorphous particles were aggregated, and (3) α-AgI microcrystals with 20-30nm in diameter crystallized within the aggregates.