Structural alterations in the amorphous-to-crystalline transformation of lead pyrophosphate

The detailed structural changes that occur during the isothermal transition from a glass to a single-phase crystalline solid have been determined for the first time by use of the modern technique of high-performance liquid chromatography. Quantitative measurements of the evolution of the type and relative concentration of individual structural units present during the devitrification process were made on lead pyrophosphate glasses annealed below, at, and above the glass transition temperature.