Fabrication of cellular structure composite material from recycled soda-lime glass and phlogopite mica powders

Abstract

A homogeneous composite material with different physical structures has been fabricated from recycled colourless soda-lime glass powders and phlogopite-type mica powders by mixing the two powder components and sintering the mixture at a temperature above 850° C for a period of 30 min or longer. The physical structure of the composite material can be fabricated into either a cellular structure consisting of both closed and open cells or a highly densified ceramic body. The cellular structure composite material is found to have a compressive strength of about 0.877 MN m−2 and thermal conductivity values in the range of 0.290 to 0.306 W m−1 °C−1 when measured at temperatures in the range of 25 to 100° C. The highly densified composite material, on the other hand, is found to have a compressive strength of about 53.0 MN m−2 and thermal conductivity values in the range of 0.198 to 0.250 W m−1 °C−1. The composite material, when compared with other common building materials, is found to be potential material for construction applications because of its superior mechanical and thermal properties.