An opaque gahnite-spinel glass ceramic is provided. The glass ceramic includes a first crystal phase including (Mg.sub.xZn.sub.1-x)Al.sub.2O.sub.4 where x is less than 1 and a second crystal phase includes at least one of tetragonal ZrO.sub.2, MgTa.sub.2O.sub.6, mullite, and cordierite. The glass ceramic has a Young's modulus greater than or equal to 90 GPa, and has a hardness greater than or equal to 7.5 GPa. The glass ceramic may be ion exchanged. Methods for producing the glass ceramic are also provided.

Glass-ceramics exhibiting a Vickers indentation crack initiation threshold of at least 15 kgf are disclosed. These glass-ceramics may be ion exchangeable or ion exchanged. The glass-ceramics include a crystalline and amorphous phases generated by subjecting a thin precursor glass article to ceramming cycle having an average cooling rate in the range from about 10 C./minute to about 25 C./minute. In one or more embodiments, the crystalline phase may comprise at least 20 wt % of the glass-ceramics. The glass-ceramics may include -spodumene ss as the predominant crystalline phase and may exhibit an opacityabout 85% over the wavelength range of 400-700 nm for an about 0.8 mm thickness and colors an observer angle of 10 and a CIE illuminant F02 determined with specular reflectance included of a* between 3 and +3, b* between 6 and +6, and L* between 88 and 97.

The present invention relates to an improved cordierite glass-ceramic. In order to improve the materials properties, it is proposed that the glass-ceramic comprising SiO.sub.2, Al.sub.2O.sub.3, MgO and Li.sub.2O contains cordierite as main crystal phase and that a secondary crystal phase of the glass-ceramic comprises high-quartz solid solution and/or keatite solid solution. The invention further relates to a process for producing such a glass-ceramic and the use of such a glass-ceramic.

Provided is a high-strength crystallized glass or substrate having a high visible light transmittance and a good color balance, which is suitable for use in protecting members of portable electronic devices, optical devices and the like. Provided is a crystallized glass comprising, in terms of mol % on an oxide basis: an SiO.sub.2 component of 30.0% or more and 70.0% or less, an Al.sub.2O.sub.3 component of 8.0% or more and 25.0%, an Na.sub.2O component of 0% or more and 25.0% or less, an MgO component of 0% or more and 25.0% or less, a ZnO component of 0% or more and 30.0% or less and a TiO.sub.2 component of 0% or more and 10.0% or less, the molar ratio [Al.sub.2O.sub.3/(MgO+ZnO)] having a value of 0.5 or more and 2.0 or less, and comprising one or more selected from RAl.sub.2O.sub.4, RTi.sub.2O.sub.5, R.sub.2TiO.sub.4, R.sub.2SiO.sub.4, RAl.sub.2Si.sub.2O.sub.8 and R.sub.2Al.sub.4Si.sub.5O.sub.18 as a crystal phase.