A low cost route for fabrication of wollastonite glass–ceramics directly using soda-lime waste glass by reactive crystallization–sintering

Wollastonite glass–ceramics have been fabricated by directly mixing soda-lime waste glass powders with a synthetic crystallization promoter and then sintering, the wollastonite being formed by a reaction between crystallization promoter and glass during sintering. Effects of the crystallization promoter contents and processing parameters on the reactive crystallization behavior, sinterability and properties of glass–ceramics were investigated. The results showed that the level of reactive crystallization was predominantly controlled by temperature, and the sinterability of glass–ceramics deteriorated with increasing content of promoter and temperature. Raising temperature had a considerable influence on strength but less on hardness of glass–ceramics. The best mechanical properties were obtained for the glass–ceramic with 15% crystallization promoter sintered at 850 °C for 2 h.