Effect of glass waste on ceramics and concrete production

The article is devoted to the study of using glass waste for ceramics and concretes production. The results of the spectral analysis of glass composition are presented, and phase changes and their impact on the microstructure and strength properties of ceramics and concrete are studied. Scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy of the final material are discussed. As a result, it was revealed that after 28 days, concrete with added glass powder delayed the strength rise, but by day 112, the strength had considerably grown to 76.36 MPa. This results from pozzolanic reactions, where calcium hydroxide and glass combine to generate more hydration products that boost strength. Glass-based ceramic shows 13.20 MPa compressive strength, which satisfies construction material criteria, and was achieved by adding glass waste at a level of 10% of the clay mass. In addition to lowering the demand for natural mineral resources, the use of glass in ceramic blends promotes sustainable development and lessens the environmental load. Both the ceramic and concrete samples had a high content of SiO2 and Al2O3 oxides. These are the main components that provide the material with high mechanical strength and chemical resistance. In the Spectral analysis of glass, in all the graphs, we see a high tendency for silicon dioxide (silica). This is explained by the fact that SiO2 belongs to the group of glass-forming oxides, i.e., it is prone to the formation of supercooled melt-glass.