A New Environmental-Friendly Approach to Preparing Glass-Ceramics from Desert Sand

The word’s mineral resources are sharply decreasing, and the process of desertification is severe. The use of desert sand as a substitute for natural materials is of great significance for reducing the consumption of mineral resources and protecting the environment. Desert sand contains a large amount of SiO2. Using desert sand to replace pure oxides not only saves costs and natural minerals, but also enhances the comprehensive utilization of desert resources, which meets the requirements of sustainable development. This paper reviews the research status of the preparation of glass-ceramics with desert sand as the main raw material, including the resource status of desert sand, the preparation process and application of glass-ceramics. The advantages and challenges of preparing glass-ceramics from desert sand were studied. Finally, the future development direction of glass-ceramics prepared from desert sand was prospected.