Engineered high expansion glass-ceramics having near linear thermal strain and methods thereof

A method comprising:

• providing a glass-ceramic mixture configured to provide a glass-ceramic composition comprising of from about 65 wt. % to about 80 wt. % of SiO2;
• from about 8 wt. % to about 16 wt. % of Li2O;
• from about 2 wt. % to about 8 wt. % of Al2O3;
• from about 1 wt. % to about 8 wt. % of K2O;
• from about 1 wt. % to about 5 wt. % of P2O5;
• from about 0.5 wt. % to about 7 wt. % of B2O3;
• and from about 0.1 wt. % to about 5 wt. % of ZnO;
• heating the mixture to a first temperature T1 of from about 950° C. to about 1050° C.;
• rapidly cooling at a rate r2 greater than about 30° C./minute to a second temperature T2 of from about 400° C. to about 750° C., thereby minimizing formation of a cristobalite SiO2 phase within the mixture;
• reheating the mixture to a third temperature T3 of from about 750° C. to about 850° C., thereby facilitating formation of a quartz SiO2 phase within the mixture;
• and
• cooling the mixture to a fourth temperature T4 of from about 10° C. to about 500° C., thereby forming a glass-ceramic composition.