In this study, glass-ceramics containing cordierite (2MgO·2Al2O3 · 5SiO2) as a major crystalline phase were prepared from the MgO-Al2O3-SiO2 (MAS) glass system for application as IR reflectors. Glasses prepared with the addition of TiO2 as a nucleating agent were crystallized by a two-step heat treatment of nucleation and crystal growth. The nucleation and crystal growth behavior, the influence of heat treatment schedule on the nature of the crystalline phases, and the diffuse reflectance spectra were investigated. Cordierite and rutile were precipitated as major crystalline phases in the glass-ceramics with nucleation at 750ºC for 3 hours and crystal growth at 1100ºC for 5 hours. This glass-ceramics showed over 90% reflectance in spectral range 570 to 2500 nm.

Keywords: IR reflector, Glass-ceramics, Cordierite, MAS