A low cost route for fabrication of wollastonite glass-ceramics directly using soda-lime waste glass by reactive crystallization-sintering

Wollastonite glass-ceramics have been fabricated by directly mixing soda-lime waste glass powders with a synthetic crystallization promoter and then sintering, the wollastonite being formed by a reaction between crystallization promoter and glass during sintering. Effects of the crystallization promoter contents and processing parameters on the reactive crystallization behavior, sinterability and properties of glass-ceramics were investigated. The results showed that the level of reactive crystallization was predominantly controlled by temperature, and the sinterability of glass-ceramics deteriorated with increasing content of promoter and temperature. Raising temperature had a considerable influence on strength but less on hardness of glass-ceramics. The best mechanical properties were obtained for the glass-ceramic with 15% crystallization promoter sintered at 850 degrees C for 2 h. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved.