Preparation and Characterization of Glass-Ceramic Foam from Clay-Rich Waste Diatomaceous Earth

Abstract

In this study, the potential use of waste diatomaceous earth from the production of diatomaceous earth for filtration purposes, as an alternative raw material for foam glass production, was explored. The chemical and mineralogical composition and the high temperature behavior of waste diatomite were studied to assess its suitability for foam glass production. Glass-ceramic foams were prepared using NaOH solution as a foaming agent, via a hydrate mechanism. The influence of different pretreatments and firing temperatures on the foam’s structure, bulk density and compressive strength was investigated. High temperature behavior was studied using TG/DTA analysis and high temperature microscopy. Phase composition was studied using X-ray diffraction analysis. Glass-ceramic foam samples of a high porosity comparable to conventional foam glass products were fabricated. The pretreatment temperature, foaming temperature and sintering holding time were found to have a significant influence on foam properties. With increased pretreatment temperature, pyrogenic carbon from the thermal decomposition of organic matter contained in the raw material acted as an additional foaming agent and remained partially unoxidized in prepared foams. The bulk densities of prepared samples ranged from 150 kg/m3 to 510 kg/m3 and their compressive strengths were between 140 and 1270 kPa.

Use of natural material (flask) of the Taskalinsky deposit of the West Kazakhstan region to obtain thermal insulation material

“…The paper [8] considers a method for manufacturing foam glass using float glass waste and sodium hydroxide. Titanium dioxide TiO 2 was introduced as hardening additive.…”

Influence of Sintering on Thermal, Mechanical and Technological Properties of Glass Foams Produced from Agro-Industrial Residues

“…For example, temperature indices have increased in several countries because of climate change, leading to a growing demand for materials with thermal insulation properties [ 10 , 11 ]. In this context, glass foams have become of great interest to civil construction [ 12 ], as they are chemically inert and non-toxic, present low density, high compression resistance, better thermal insulation [ 13 ], and greater resistance to weather compared to polymeric foams, which can cause serious problems related to fire risk, short service life, and toxicity [ 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 ]. Temperature is known to have a strong influence on the production of glass foams [ 11 , 19 ].…”

“…Several materials are suitable for manufacturing glass foams, alumina, mullite, silicon carbide, zirconia, and hydroxyapatite. Soda-lime glass accounts for 90% of all glass produced worldwide, and studies have demonstrated the advantages of its application [ 16 ], which can favor the expansion of glass foam (<450%) with the addition of CaCO 3 as a foaming agent [ 13 , 24 , 25 ]. The soda-lime glass can represent 97% of the glass foam mass [ 11 , 26 , 27 ].…”

“…[ 28 ]. Therefore, from an ecological point of view, the use of glass foam is a good alternative for the civil construction sector [ 13 , 24 ]. The possibility of incorporating agro-industrial wastes into the manufacturing process of glass foams plays an important role in the production of this material, as it usually requires less energy to be produced than conventional materials [ 12 ].…”

Diatomaceous Earth—Lightweight Pozzolanic Admixtures for Repair Mortars—Complex Chemical and Physical Assessment

“…Usually, diatomite mined from geological deposits must be purified before being used; thermal pre-calcination and HCl washing are the treatments generally used to increase powder quality and to make the biomaterial inert as filter support [ 29 ]. In the construction industry, diatomite finds use in lightweight brick manufacturing [ 30 , 31 ] to produce ceramics [ 32 , 33 , 34 ] for the improvement of MOC composites [ 35 ] and as a part of shape-stabilized phase change materials [ 36 , 37 ]. It is also applied in designing and developing high-temperature resistant and thermal insulation materials [ 38 , 39 ] and as lightweight aggregate manufacturing mortar and concrete [ 40 , 41 ].…”