Abstract
The paper presents authors’ contribution to the improvement of the manufacturing technique of foam glass using the microwave energy. Due to the physical and mechanical characteristics, this material, obtained by the sintering process of waste glass at high temperature, constitutes a viable replacer of existing similar materials, used especially in construction. Unlike the conventional heating methods used worldwide, the company Daily Sourcing & Research SRL Bucharest tested lately microwave heating techniques in the manufacturing process of foam glass. In the paper it is presented an original method based on the feature of the powder mixture composed by waste glass (over 97 wt.%) and the foaming agent (calcium carbonate) to absorb the microwave energy and convert it to heat since the ambient temperature, using a silicon carbide and silicon nitride (80/ 20 weight ratio) crucible with thin wall (2.5 mm), which allows both a preponderantly direct heating and partially an indirect heating of the material. The main parameters of the process (specific consumption of energy, heating speed, process temperature and duration) were significant improved compared to the previous experiments.
Highlights
Microwave heating is a fast, economical and "clean" process, known since the 1930s
In the last decade, it has been experimentally found that many other types of materials can be efficiently heated with microwaves: organics, ceramics, polymers, metals, glass, etc., but the results remained at the level of experiment [1]
The production of glass foam from recycled glass waste is based on sintering at high temperature a powder mixture formed from glass waste and a suitable foaming agent
Summary
Microwave heating is a fast, economical and "clean" process, known since the 1930s. until the end of the last century, the fields of applicability were very limited. The microwave applications in the household in the food preparation are well known. The microwave energy was used only for vulcanization of rubber or for different drying processes. In the last decade, it has been experimentally found that many other types of materials can be efficiently heated with microwaves: organics, ceramics, polymers, metals, glass, etc., but the results remained at the level of experiment [1]. One such example is the field of industrial manufacture of glass foams from recycled glass waste.
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