Development Glass Ceramics from Blast Furnace Slag

Abstract

Glass ceramics have a wide range of applications in today’s world. The production of glass ceramics from industrial waste such as fly ash, red mud, blast furnace slag gaining more importance now a days because of their availability and low cost. In the present work an attempt has been made to produce glass ceramic with high alumina content using blast furnace slag. Generally alumina is very difficult to melt. To produce base glass for glass ceramic from blast furnace slag, an additional low melting phase which aid in dissolving the alumina can be provided by blast furnace slag. Blast furnace slag is generally produced at the temperature range 1300oC to 1400oC. High alumina content glass with alumina percentage as high as 30% (more alumina content in E-glass) requires melting temperature as high as 1600oC. Therefore using blast furnace slag as one of the main constituents can help in reducing the melting temperature of the precursor glass prior to glass ceramic production. More over high alumina content in the glass as well as in glass ceramic can enhance different physical properties, like high mechanical strength, high durability, low thermal expansion co efficient which are very suitable for cooktop application. In the present work an attempt has been made glass ceramics from blast furnace with alumina content 32% . Glasses are melted at 1400oC. For glass ceramic production glasses are heat treated at 750oC, 850oC and 950oC. Glass ceramic products are characterize by Vickers Hardness, Bulk density measurement, Flexural strength , Compressive strength , Dilatometer test and FESEM.