Crystallization behavior and glass formation of selected lunar compositions.

The kinetics of crystal growth have been determined over a wide range of temperature, from 800 to 1219 C, for lunar compositions 14259 and 14310. At all temperatures for both compositions the extent of crystal growth is found to be a linear function of time. For both materials, the growth rate versus temperature relations exhibit the form generally found with glass-forming materials. At all temperatures measured, the crystal growth rate of composition 14259 is smaller than that of composition 14310. The maximum growth rate for both compositions occurs at a temperature of about 1120 C. The growth rate data are combined with viscosity data obtained on the same compositions to construct the reduced growth rate versus undercooling relations.