Scheelite-based highly reflective enamels with varied crystal morphology and its influence on the solar reflectance

Abstract

Scheelite-based enamels were prepared by melting of a WO₃-containing glass. Annealing at different temperatures produce crystals with different morphologies ranging from arrows to bypiramids. The structural characterization allows determining the size of the crystals as well as the differences in the local environment of the glassy matrix. It was deduced that there were no significant differences in the crystallinity of the materials when the annealing temperature was raised but the polymerization of the glassy network decreased with the increase of the temperature. The low connectivity of the glass network induces the changes in the morphology of the scheelite crystals thus influencing the solar reflectance of the materials.