Foreword -- Preface -- List of contributing authorst -- 1 Influence of Thermal Prehistory on Crystal Nucleation and Growth in Polymers -- 1.1 Introduction -- 1.2 State of the Art -- 1.2.1 Dependence of the Properties of Glass-forming Melts on Melt History -- 1.2.2 Polymer Crystallization -- 1.2.3 Differential Fast Scanning Calorimetry -- 1.3 Experimental -- 1.3.1 Samples -- 1.3.2 Suppression of Homogeneous Nucleation at Fast Cooling -- 1.3.3 Non-isothermal Ordering Kinetics -- 1.3.4 Isothermal Ordering Kinetics -- 1.3.5 Identification of Different Nuclei Populations -- 1.3.6 Enthalpy Relaxation and Crystal Nucleation in the Glassy State -- 1.3.7 Summary of Experimental Results and Conclusions -- 1.4 Illumination of the Nucleation and Growth Mechanism -- 1.4.1 Low-temperature Endotherms and Homogeneous Nucleation -- 1.4.2 Some Brief Theoretical Considerations -- 1.5 Conclusions and Outlook -- 2 Early Stages of Crystal Formation in Glass-forming Metallic Alloys -- 2.1 Introduction -- 2.2 Marginal Glass-formers -- 2.2.1 Nucleation versus Growth Control -- 2.2.2 Processing Pathway Modifications -- 2.2.3 Nucleation and Growth Kinetics -- 2.2.4 Characterization of the Amorphous Phase -- 2.2.5 Nanocrystal Formation at Temperatures Well Below Tg -- 2.3 Deformation-induced Nanocrystal Formation -- 2.4 Bulk Metallic Glasses -- 2.5 Conclusions and Hypotheses -- 3 Crystalline and Amorphous Modifications of Silica: Structure, Thermodynamic Properties, Solubility, and Synthesis -- 3.1 Introduction -- 3.2 Properties of Silica Modifications: Literature Search -- 3.2.1 Classical SiO2-literature -- 3.2.2 Original Literature Sources on the Different Silica Modifications -- 3.2.3 Internet Search -- 3.3 Phase Diagram of SiO2 -- 3.3.1 Fenner's Classical Diagram -- 3.3.2 Flörke's Diagram.

3.3.3 Contemporary (p - T )-phase Diagrams of SiO2 -- 3.4 Modifications of SiO2 and Their Synthesis -- 3.4.1 Mineralogical Characteristics of the SiO2-modifications -- 3.4.2 Synthesis of Quartz -- 3.4.3 Synthesis and Stabilization of ß -cristobalite -- 3.4.4 Synthesis of Keatite: Classical Aspects -- 3.4.5 Synthesis of Coesite -- 3.4.6 Stishovite: Synthesis and Thermal Stability -- 3.4.7 Synthesis of Amorphous Modifications of Silica -- 3.5 Structure and Thermodynamic Properties of the SiO2-modifications -- 3.6 Solubility of the Different SiO2-modifications -- 3.6.1 General Thermodynamic Dependencies -- 3.6.2 Solubility Diagram of SiO2. Ostwald's Rule of Stages -- 3.6.3 Solubility of SiO2: Size Effects -- 3.6.4 Different SiO2-modifications at Hydrothermal Conditions: Technological Aspects -- 3.7 Resources of the Silica Modifications -- 3.7.1 Mineral Resources of Quartz -- 3.7.2 Plant Resources of Silica -- 3.7.3 Industrial Waste as Sources of Silica -- 3.7.4 Coesite and Stishovite as Impactite Remnants -- 3.8 Some Particularly Interesting Properties of Silica -- 3.9 General Discussion: Technical Perspectives -- 4 The Main Silica Phases and Some of Their Properties -- 4.1 Introduction -- 4.2 Specific Properties of Silica Resulting from the Electronic Structure of Silicon -- 4.2.1 Specific Properties of Silica Compounds and Differences as Compared to Chemical Analogs: Silicon and Carbon -- 4.2.2 Electron Structure of the Silicon Atom and its Interaction with Oxygen -- 4.2.3 Consequences of p-Bonding in Silica -- 4.2.4 Increase in Silicon Coordination Number as a Result of s-p-d-hybridization -- 4.2.5 Implication of s-p-d-hybridization for Chemical Reactions and Physical Transformations of Silica -- 4.3 Phases of Silica and Their Properties -- 4.3.1 Dense Octahedral Silicas: High Pressure Phases.

4.3.2 Clathrasils: Friable Silica Phases -- 4.3.3 Exception: Fibrous Silica -- 4.3.4 Proper Silicas -- 4.3.5 Main Crystalline Tetrahedral Silicas -- 4.3.6 Amorphous Silica -- 4.3.7 Polyamorphism -- 4.4 Quartz and Some of Its Properties -- 4.4.1 Enantiomorphism of Quartz -- 4.4.2 Twins (Zwillinge) in Quartz -- 4.4.3 Anisotropy of Quartz -- 4.4.4 Thermal Expansion of Quartz -- 4.4.5 High-Low or (a - ß )-Transformation in Quartz -- 4.4.6 Pressure-induced Amorphization of Crystalline Silica -- 4.5 Hydrothermal Synthesis of Quartz -- 4.5.1 Brief History -- 4.5.2 Temperature Drop Method -- 4.5.3 Main Problems of Hydrothermal Synthesis of Quartz -- 4.6 Concluding Remarks -- 4.7 Appendix: The Crystal Skulls -- 5 Chemical Structure of Oxide Glasses: A Concept for Establishing Structure-Property Relationships -- 5.1 Introduction -- 5.2 Structural Models -- 5.3 Thermodynamic Approach -- 5.4 Concept of Chemical Structure -- 5.5 Short-range Order -- 5.5.1 Na2O-B2O3 Glasses -- 5.5.2 Li2O-B2O3 Glasses andMelts -- 5.5.3 Na2O-SiO2 Glasses -- 5.5.4 Na2O-B2O3-SiO2 Glasses -- 5.6 Intermediate-Range Order -- 5.7 Structure-Property Relationships -- 5.8 Summary and Conclusions -- 6 Bubbles in Silica Melts: Formation, Evolution, and Methods of Removal -- Part I: Experimental Data and Basic Mechanisms -- 6.1 Introduction -- 6.2 Sources of Bubbles in Silica Melt and Glass -- 6.2.1 Brief Account of the Technology of Silica Glass Production -- 6.2.2 Raw Materials as a Source of Bubbles -- 6.2.3 Furnace Atmosphere as a Source of Bubbles -- 6.2.4 Interaction of Heaters and Form-shaping Equipment with the Melt as Source of Bubbles -- 6.2.5 Concentrations of Impurities, Including Dissolved Gases, in Commercial Silica Glasses.

6.2.6 Experimental Study of Formation and Evolution of Bubbles in Silica Melts -- 6.3 Physico-chemical Properties of Silica Melts Influencing the Formation and Evolution of Gas Bubbles -- 6.3.1 Surface Tension -- 6.3.2 Density -- 6.3.3 Viscosity -- 6.3.4 Solubility and Diffusion of Gases -- 6.4 Summary to Part I -- Part II: Theoretical Analysis and Computer Simulation of the Process -- 6.5 Introduction to Part II -- 6.5.1 Main Stages of Fusion of Powdered Silica under Heating and Evolution of Bubble Structure -- 6.5.2 Selection of Parameters for the Temperature Dependence Equations that describe the Properties of the Silica Melt Affecting the Kinetics of the Process -- 6.6 Micro-rheological Model and Computer Simulation of the Process -- 6.6.1 The Micro-rheological Model of Powder Sintering and Structuring of a Porous Body -- 6.6.2 Influence of Some Technological Factors on Formation of Bubble Structure under Heating of Powdered Silica Glass: Computer Simulation of the Process -- 6.7 Summary to Part II -- Part III: Mathematical Modeling and Computer Simulation of the Behavior of Gas-Filled Bubbles in Silica Melts -- 6.8 Introduction -- 6.9 Behavior of Isolated Bubbles -- 6.10 Behavior of Solitary Gas-filled Bubbles under Mass Exchange with the Melt -- 6.11 Two-phase Approach to the Description of Mono-disperse Ensembles of Bubbles -- 6.12 Two-phase Approach to the Description of Poly-disperse Ensembles of Bubbles -- 6.13 Diffusion of the Dissolved Gas in the Melt -- 6.14 Relative Motion of Bubbles in the Melt: Modification of the Mathematical Model.

6.15 Flow of the Melt Governed by the Motion of the Bubbles: Complete System of Equations for Modeling of the Behavior of Gas-filled Bubble Ensembles in the Melt -- 6.16 Summary to Part III -- 7 Regularities and Peculiarities in the Crystallization Kinetics of Silica Glass -- 7.1 Introduction -- 7.2 Literature Review -- 7.3 Development of Experimental Techniques -- 7.4 Basic Phenomenological Features of the Crystallization Processes -- 7.5 Influence of the Degree of Silica Reduction -- 7.6 Influence of Concentration of "Structural Water" -- 7.7 Influence of the Degree of Fusion Penetration of Quartz or Cristobalite Particles on Crystallization of Quartz Glasses -- 7.8 Influence of Surface Contamination on Crystallization Kinetics -- 7.9 Influence of the Composition of the Gas Medium on Crystallization of Quartz Glass -- 7.9.1 Introductory Comments -- 7.9.2 On Crystallization in Dry Gas Media -- 7.9.3 Experiments on Crystallization in an Atmosphere Containing Water Vapor -- 7.9.4 Crystallization of Quartz Glass in the Atmosphere of Gases in Equilibrium with the Melt -- 7.10 Influence of the Drawing Process on the Crystallization Kinetics of Tubes of Quartz Glasses -- 7.11 Summary of Results and Discussion -- 7.11.1 Introductory Remarks -- 7.11.2 Influence of Surface Reactions on Crystallization -- 7.11.3 Relation Between Crystallization Rate and Viscosity -- 7.12 Conclusions -- 8 Stress-induced Pore Formation and Phase Selection in a Crystallizing Stretched Glass -- 8.1 Introduction -- 8.2 Stress Induced Pore Formation and Phase Selection in a Crystallizing Stretched Glass of Regular Shape -- 8.2.1 The Model -- 8.2.2 Experiments -- 8.2.3 Theoretical Interpretation: Classical Nucleation Theory -- 8.2.4 Theoretical Interpretation: Generalized Gibbs Approach.

8.3 Sintered Diopside-albite Glass-ceramics Forming Crystallization-induced Porosity.