Immobilization of hospital waste incineration ashes in glass-ceramic composites

In the paper process of sintering of hospital incineration ash as a counterpart of low-level active waste with borosilicate glass frit is presented. It is shown that low porosity glass-ceramic waste-form can be obtained at a temperature range of 850–900 °C. In the sinter, the main crystal phases are wollastonite and aegirine-augite pyroxenes which have a large isomorphous capacity of binding hazardous elements. The crystal phases are fully encapsulated by the glass that provides additional protection against environmental influence. Thus, multibarrier material can be obtained at a temperature considerably lower than vitrification. This, in turn, can improve the economics of immobilization process.     

The sintering kinetics of porcelain bodies made from waste glass and fly ash

Porcelain is a material produced from kaoline, quartz and potassium-feldspar. Recently, research of new materials, for example non-hazardous wastes, that are able to replace traditional fluxing agents without changing the process or quality of the final products has been realized. The aim of this work is to study the possibility of the use of glass powder waste and fly ash together for manufacturing porcelain. Instead of quartz, fly ash was used at the selected porcelain composition. The waste glass was added partially and fully in replacement of potassium-feldspar. Samples were fired in an electric furnace with a heating rate of 10 °C/min at 1100, 1150 and 1200 °C for a period of 1, 2, 3 and 5 h. The sintered samples were characterised by XRD (X-ray diffraction) and SEM (scanning electron microscopy). Sintering activation energies were determined based on the bulk density result. At 10, 15, 20 and 25 wt.% glass waste addition, the apparent activation energies were calculated to be 145, 113.5, 70.4 and 53.74 kJ/mol, respectively. It was found that the sintering activation energy decreased with increasing waste glass addition.     

Investigation of high-level waste glass melting using X-ray computed tomography

A method has been developed to quantitatively assess the melting behavior of simulated nuclear waste glasses in a 5-cm-diameter stainless steel beaker heated from the bottom. The method applies X-ray scanning and computed tomography to build three-dimensional volumetric data of a heat-treated sample and performs an adaptive segmentation analysis of the volumetric data to identify morphologically distinct regions in the sample matrix and quantify the amount of material in each region based on computed tomography density. The method was applied to two different series of simulated high-level waste glass melter feeds, and the results showed that it provides detailed images of samples at various stages of melting, including distribution of gas bubbles of varying sizes within the sample matrix, as well as a quantitative measure of how fast various waste/frit feeds melted relative to each other. The results show that the melting rate is influenced by the rate of calcine gas evolution, melt viscosity, and the presence of modifier ions in the feed.     

Glass production using tailing of upgraded rare metal mineralization,Abu Rusheid area – Egypt for nuclear waste immobilization

Most research activities in the nuclear mining industries are directed to separation of heavy and radioactive minerals from rocks and sediments. This process is completed without utilizing tailing and mineral waste materials. Tailing materials containing radioactive wastes are considered as a major environmental problem; especially with increasing the exploration of metals and lower grade mineral deposits. In the present work, borosilicate glass could be prepared for immobilizing these nuclear wastes in the designing compositions by melting at 1200–1250 °C. NaI (TI) gamma-ray spectroscopy system was used to detect ²³⁸U, ²³²Th, ²²⁶Ra, and ⁴⁰K concentrations in tailing materials and prepared glass to emphasize their safe dose. The produced glass was characterized by XRD, SEM, FTIR, and UV spectrophotometer. Vickers hardness and leaching properties were also studied. The results showed that compact - structured glass with high durability towards groundwater was obtained. All studied environmental parameters indicated that the glass radiation dose was lower compared to international averages, thus the glass can be safely used in nuclear waste immobilization.     

Effect of potassium and silver ion-exchange on the strengthening effect and properties of aluminosilicate glass

In this work, the aluminosilicate glass was subjected to ion-exchange using the KNO₃-AgCl mixed molten salt in order to strengthen the glass while imparting antimicrobial properties. The concentration distribution of K⁺ ions and Ag⁺ ions of the ion-exchanged glasses was characterized by EDS, the effects of ion-exchange temperature (460-500 °C), ion-exchange time (0.5-3 h) and AgCl concentration (0–2.5 wt%) in the mixed molten salt on the strengthening effect and properties of the glass were investigated. The results showed that Ag⁺-Na⁺ ion-exchange, K⁺-Na⁺ ion-exchange existed simultaneously, and Ag⁺-Na⁺ ion-exchange occurred preferentially. Due to the presence of metallic silver, the appearance of the Ag⁺ ion-exchanged glass was light yellow and its transmittance showed a decrease. The surface compressive stress trended up and then down with increasing temperature and time because of the stress relaxation effect. The Vickers hardness of ion-exchanged glass increased by 15%, and the densities and chemical stability were also increased. Ions leaching experiments showed that the Ag⁺ ions release concentration of silver-loaded glass in aqueous environment can reach the bactericidal level. It has been shown that ion-exchange of glass in KNO₃-AgCl mixed molten salts allowed the glass to be strengthened and incorporated with antimicrobial active ions, its chemical stability was improved, too.     

Effect of waste aluminosilicate material on cement hydration and properties of cement mortars

The effect of waste material (catalyst used previously in catalytic cracking of petroleum in fluidized bed—fluidized bed cracking catalyst denoted as FBCC) on cement hydration kinetics was investigated in terms of fineness of this admixture. The compressive strength and microstructure of cement mortars were also examined. Variable percentage of this aluminosilicate admixture, originating from batches of quite different grain size composition, was introduced to cement pastes. Further on, cement mortars were produced using the material of higher activity, as it has been found in admixtured cement investigations. The waste was added as cement replacement or, partially, as sand replacement. The activity of waste catalyst was strongly related to the fineness—finer grains indicate better activity. In the presence of a FBCC admixture, the Ca(OH)₂ content decrease in cement pastes due to the pozzolanic reaction is observed. The surface area of hydrated paste becomes higher and, simultaneously, the mean pore diameter decreases, as compared to reference sample, without admixture. The strength improvement is observed particularly when the aluminosilicate material is introduced as partial sand replacement.     

Production of alumino-borosilicate foamed glass body from waste LCD glass

A foaming process for waste LCD glass is presented, in which waste LCD glass is recycled to produce alumino-borosilicate foamed glass, which can eventually be used as a heat-insulating material, a light-weight aggregate for civil engineering applications, or a carrier for sewage treatment. The effects on waste LCD glass foaming of a variety of carbon foaming agents, metal salt foaming agents, and bonding agents are examined, as well as other factors such as chemical composition, foaming temperature, and grain size of the raw materials from the waste LCD glass. After examining all the variables that influence the foaming process, it was confirmed that the waste LCD glass is suitable as a raw material for producing alumino-borosilicate foamed glass. The alumino-borosilicate foamed glass has excellent physical properties, with density less than 0.14 g/cm³, heat conductivity less than 0.054 W/(mK) @20 °C, bending strength more than 35 N/cm², compressive strength more than 39 N/cm² and a coefficient of linear thermal expansion less than 4.5 × 10^?6 m/m °C. This clearly shows that the lightweight alumino-borosilicate foamed glass could be useful for various applications.     

Reuse of mineral wool waste and recycled glass in ceramic foams

Novel ceramic foams have been prepared by high temperature sintering of waste mineral wool and waste glass using SiC as a foaming agent. The aim of the research was to understand the effects of composition and sintering conditions on the properties and microstructure and produce commercially exploitable ceramic foams. Optimum ceramic foams were formed from 40 wt% mineral wool waste and 2 wt% SiC, sintered at 1170 °C using a heating rate of 20 °C/min with a 20 min hold at peak temperature. The ceramic foams produced had a bulk density of 0.71 g/cm³ and a uniform pore size distribution. The research shows that ceramic foams can be formed from waste mineral wool and these can be used for thermal insulation with associated economic and environmental benefits.     

Rapid preparation of Nd-doped zirconia ceramics for high-level radioactive waste immobilization

Rapid preparation of ceramic waste form at low temperature is of great engineering significance for immobilization of high-level radioactive waste. Herein, we demonstrated that Nd-doped zirconia ceramics can be rapidly prepared at low sintering temperature with the assistance of hydrothermal assisted sol-gel method. The effects of sintering temperature and Nd content on the phase and microstructure evolutions of the obtained ceramics were studied. With the increasing content of Nd, the phase of ZrO₂ transformed from monoclinic to cubic at first, then the pyrochlore Nd₂Zr₂O₇ phase appeared, and finally hexagonal neodymia solid solution structure formed. Moreover, the grain size and compactness of the obtained ceramics increased with the increment in sintering temperature. The successful accommodation of Nd within the ZrO₂ lattice was revealed by the detected increase of cell parameters. This work demonstrated that the hydrothermal assisted sol-gel process can be employed to effectively synthesize the Nd-doped zirconia ceramics as potential hosts for HLW immobilization.     

Effect of normal scratch load and HF etching on the mechanical behavior of annealed and chemically strengthened aluminosilicate glass

Micro-cracks generated by hard body scratch are a major cause of strength decrease for silicate glass. The influence of normal scratch load on the cracking patterns and flexural strength of annealed glass (AG) and chemically strengthened glass (CSG) were studied. With the increase of the normal load, the load capacity of scratched AG specimens decreased to about 40 MPa at 20gf immediately. However, the residual strength of CSG decreased to a steady value of 145 MPa as the scratch load increased to 500gf. Then the effect of hydrofluoric acid (HF) etching on the surface morphology and mechanical properties of the 500gf scratched glass were investigated. After 8min (for CSG) and 16 min (for AG) acid treatment, the flexural strength of CSG and AG increased to a considerable value of 900 MPa, which is 3.6 and 5.5 times higher than the flexural strength of undamaged specimens. Microscopic observations show that the blunting and eliminating of median cracks as well as the formation of new surfaces are the main causes of strength enhancement.     

A comparative study on the effect of loading speed and surface scratches on the flexural strength of aluminosilicate glass: Annealed vs. chemically strengthened

Quasi-static and dynamic three-point-bending experiments were conducted on both annealed and chemically strengthened aluminosilicate glass scratched by different normal loads. Scratched areas were observed by optical microscope and atomic force microscope. Chemically strengthened glass shows better resistance to surface scratch. These dynamic experiments were carried out using a modified Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB) device and a pulse-shaping technique was used to keep constant loading speed to the specimens. In tests, high-speed photography was also used to observe the failure process of the specimens. The test results showed that the flexural strength of aluminosilicate glass (AG) strongly depends on the applied loading speed. Compared with its annealed counterpart, the chemically strengthened glass (CSG) showed higher flexural strength to both static and dynamic loadings. Moreover, the three-point bending experiments were conducted on scratched AG and CSG specimens and decrease of 20–40% in flexural strength was observed. The fractography analysis showed that in dynamic loading conditions the fracture surface was not smooth and has more secondary cracks as compared to static loading.     

Properties of concrete containing waste glass

In our study, in which waste glass (WG) is considered as coarse aggregates in the concrete, WG was used reduced to 4-16 mm in proportions of 0-60% in the production of PKÇ/B 32.5/R type cement. The effects of WG on workability and strength of the concrete with fresh and hardened concrete tests were analyzed. As a result of the study conducted, WG was determined not to have a significant effect upon the workability of the concrete and only slightly in the reduction of its strength. Waste glass cannot be used as aggregate without taking into account its ASR properties. As for cost analysis, it was determined to lower the cost of concrete productions. Our study was an environmental one in consideration to the fact that WG could be used in the concrete as coarse aggregates without the need for a high cost or rigorous energy.     

Study on the leaching behavior of salt waste forms prepared by using zeolite and lime glass

When the reaction of salt and zeolite was used to minimize the free salt in waste forms (r = 0.1), Cs showed the lowest leaching rate, 1.015 × 10⁻¹ g/m² d. Because alkali chloride is chemically stable, the reaction that alkali elements become components of glass does not happen and thus the leach resistance of the waste form solidified with soda glass was not much different from that solidified with borosilicate glass. The crystalline phase containing Cl was sodalite, but the tendency that Cs exists prior to sodalite phase was not confirmed. From a result of a long-term leaching, the predicted leaching fraction of Cs in 900 days was as high as 5.13%, but that of Sr was as low as 0.24%. The leaching experiment with a varying pH showed the major nuclides such as Cs, Sr, and Li in salt waste had different leaching characteristics each other.     

Microwave-specific heating of crystalline species in nuclear waste glass

The microwave heating of a crystal-free and a partially trevorite-crystallized nuclear waste glass simulant was evaluated. Our results show that a 500-mg monolith of partially crystallized waste glass can be heated from room temperature to above 1600°C within 2 minutes using a single-mode, highly focused, 2.45-GHz microwave, operating at 300 W. Using X-ray diffraction measurements, we show that trevorite is no longer detectable after irradiation and thermal quenching. When a crystal-free analog of the same waste glass simulant composition was exposed to the same microwave radiation, it could not be heated above 450°C regardless of the heating time. The reduction in crystalline content achieved by selectively heating spinels in the presence of glass suggests that microwave-specific heating should be further explored as a technique for remediating crystal accumulation in a glass melt.     

Reuse of glass waste in the manufacture of ceramic tableware glazes

Today, various studies are carried out to spread the understanding of sustainability. The sustainability of production processes gains importance in corporate areas. In this study, the use of glass waste instead of frit used in glaze compositions in the ceramic industry was evaluated. The chemical and physical properties of glass wastes on samples were examined. The glaze formulations were prepared using 3%, 5%, and 8% by weight of glass waste instead of frit. Glass wastes were added to glaze compositions and 12 different glaze formulation studies were carried out. Transparent, Opaque, and Matte test glazes were prepared with glass waste added glaze formulations, and these glazes were applied to ceramic bodies. SEM (scanning electron microscope) analysis of standard glaze and glass waste added glazes was performed to determine the microstructural and morphological characterizations. Also, surface whiteness, brightness, L*a*b values, glaze flows, harcort test results, and final water absorption values were compared. As a result of the studies, it has been determined that it is appropriate to use 3% glass waste by weight instead of the frit in the production of ceramic tableware.     

X‐ray tomography of feed‐to‐glass transition of simulated borosilicate waste glasses

High‐level waste feed composition affects the overall melting rate by influencing the chemical, thermophysical, and morphological properties of a cold cap layer that floats on the molten glass where most feed‐to‐glass reactions occur. Data from X‐ray computed tomography imaging of melting pellets comprised of a simulated high‐aluminum feed reveal the morphology of bubbles, known as the primary foam, for various feed compositions at temperatures between 600°C and 1040°C. These feeds were formulated to make glasses with viscosities ranging from 0.5 to 9.5 Pa s at 1150°C, which was accomplished by changing the SiO₂/(B₂O₃+Na₂O+Li₂O) ratio in the final glass. Pellet dimensions and profile area, average and maximum bubble areas, bubble diameter, and void fraction were evaluated. The feed viscosity strongly affects the onset of the primary foaming and the foam collapse temperature. Despite the decreasing amount of gas‐evolving components (Li₂CO₃, H₃BO₃, and Na₂CO₃), as the feed viscosity increases, the measured foam expansion rate does not decrease. This suggests that the primary foaming is not only affected by changes in the primary melt viscosity but also by the compositional reaction kinetic effects. The temperature‐dependent foam morphological data will be used to inform cold cap model development for a high‐level radioactive waste glass melter.     

Synthesis of colloidal nanosilica from waste glass powder as a low cost precursor

Waste glass powder was used as a low cost precursor for production of colloidal nanosilica for the first time. The process includes production of wet silica gel and thermal peptization of the wet gel. Purification of the glass powder and wet gel production were initiated by acid washing. The obtained powder was reacted with sodium hydroxide to produce wet silica gel. Type of the applied acid was examined in one factor at a time route. Temperature of the alkaline step and concentrations of the applied acid and base were investigated using Taguchi design of experiments. After finding the best combination of the investigated factor levels in production of the wet gel, time of the stabilization in thermal peptization was studied. Characterizations of the wet gel and colloidal silica were performed by XRF, DLS, FESEM, TEM, FTIR and N₂ sorption evaluation. Accordingly pure and stable colloidal nanosilica (98.50%) with average particle size of 21.9?nm was produced from the glass powder successfully. Specific surface area of the dried porous optimum sample was 83.63?m²/g.     

废玻璃的回收和再利用

随着玻璃材料的使用越来越广泛,同时也产生了许多玻璃废弃物,形成大量的废玻璃制品,造成资源浪费,导致对环境负担和污染。废玻璃因为分量重、有棱角和颜色杂乱等特点,收集、运输都很困难,回收加工成本高。通过对废玻璃的回收工艺、分选方法和再利用途径的论述分析,提出了废玻璃的综合利用途径。