Objective
The investigation here proposed is focused in order to produce glasses and glass-ceramics materials, using the wastes urban incinerators as raw material. Other raw material, such as slags and glass cullet can be employed as complementary material. The new obtained products would have, not only usefulness as material of construction, but also they could be useful in public works and decorative architectural elements. In any case, these new materials could be storage as inert forms.
The waste powders, will be characterized with respect to the chemical composition, by their particle size and high temper, behavior. The glass composition may be varied with possible addition of other waste materials such as slag or glass cullet the effects of these additions will be examined. The obtained original glasses will be characterized with respect to physical, chemical and mechanical properties. The toxicity of these glasses will also be determined. Finally the capacity of the original glasses to produce glass-ceramics will be studied with different methods. The sintering behavior will be considered terms of the relationship between the densification and the initial composition and characteristics of original powder.
The nucleation and crystallization behavior of the previous glasses will be investigated. Crystallization rates and active energy for nucleation and crystallization will be determined for different compositions. The obtained glass-ceramics will characterized with respect to physical, chemical and mechanical properties. The toxicity of these glass-ceramics will also determined. In conclusion, this investigation will allow the development of a new range of vitreous and glassceramics materials obtained from urban incinerators wastes, in order to eliminate the high cost and the environmental problems associated with current processes for management of these wastes. Finally, it is necessary to indicate that the recycling of this type of wastes by vitrification + controlled crystallization is a novel investigation at world level and of high scientific interest with not yet resolved aspects of control of nucleation and crystallization in multicomponent glasses of very complex compositions. Finally, the glass-ceramic end product will be of a reasonably high value and therefore may act as a financial incentive ta environmentally waste management process.
Training content (objective, benefit and expected impact)
The objectives of this proposal are: 1r) To solve a serious environment problem and of utilization of high cost soil. 2'r) To establish a "know-how" of recycling into glass and glassceramic materials techniques of vitrification/devitrification vastes. 3r) To implement the scientific bases for the creation of a new type of industries for recycling of wastes which would adequate for depressed industrial areas where there is large volume of wastes from mining and industrial operations. According to succesful previous results in own RAW MATERIALS and BRITE/EURAM projects, it is prevented to obtain several glasses and glass-ceramics which will be useful for architecture and construction applications.
Links with industry / industrial relevance (22)
his investigation can arise very interesting results for generating waste companies, since can be established the bases for elimination of wastes through vitrification/devitrification controlled processes. It is of emphasizing, that this process can applicable not only to the wastes generated by urban incinerators, but also to any type of inorganic residue of industrial mining origen.
Fields of science
Call for proposal
Data not availableFunding Scheme
RGI - Research grants (individual fellowships)Coordinator
SW7 2BP LONDON
United Kingdom