What is glass transition temperature?

Glass transition temperature is the temperature at which higher molecular weight materials
(polymers) transforms from glassy state to a viscous and rubbery state.

Metals are crystalline in nature so they have a well-defined melting temperature but amorphous
substance like polymers don’t have a sharp melting temperature, instead they have a range of
temperature over which they melt i.e. Tg to Tm.

Tg denotes glass transition temp whereas Tm denotes melting temperature.

When the amorphous or semi-crystalline substance goes from glass transition temperature to
melting temperature it encounters gradual increase in specific volume while in case of crystalline
materials the rise is sharp.
The glass-liquid transition temperature (or glass transition temperature) is the reversible transition
in amorphous materials from a hard material to a viscous liquid. The amorphous solid with this
transition is called glass. The glass usually results from the super cooling of a viscous liquid.

Although the glass has very different properties from a crystalline solid, this transition is not a
phase transition of any kind (ie a transition between two phases in equilibrium), but a laboratory
phenomenon created by some conventions (such as a speed of cooling of 20 K · min‒1, among
others). That is, the glass is favored by kinetic reasons, but is not stable from the thermodynamic
point of view.

If lower cooling rates are used, there will be more time to perform the intermolecular
rearrangement of the liquid to the solid and the density of the glass will be higher. If higher cooling
rates are used, there will be less time to perform the intermolecular rearrangement of the liquid to
solid and the density of the glass will be lower.

When a solid passes through a glass transition by heating or cooling it is possible to observe a
change in the slope of the heat capacity and the coefficient of thermal expansion (but not a peak)
and, the location of this effect (the temperature), depends on the 'history' (previous conditions) of
the material.
The temperature of glass transition, Tg, is always lower than the melting temperature, Tm.