Effect of composition on characteristics of thin film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) waste glass-metakaolin-based geopolymers

By 2013 the demand for thin-film transistor liquid-crystal display (TFT-LCD) panels will be approximately 364 million m2, or approximately 9.8 × 106 ton. According to the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment directive, electrical and electronic equipment waste must be reused and recycled to reduce the amount of e-waste deposited in landfills. TFT-LCD waste glass comprises mainly SiO2 and Al2O3 and can be used to produce geopolymers. This study investigates the effects of the solid/liquid and SiO2/Na2O ratios on the properties of metakaolin-based geopolymers. Recycled TFT-LCD waste glass (0–40%) replaces metakaolin, thereby reducing the amount of metakaolin produced. This study tests samples to determine their quality, including setting time and compressive strength. These tests include mercury intrusion porosimetry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. Results indicate that TFT-LCD waste glass consists of SiO2 and Al2O3. The geopolymer based on 10% waste glass and 90% metakaolin had a compressive strength of 62 MPa after 60 days of curing. The geopolymerization products filled the pores, producing a denser structure. TFT-LCD waste glass has the potential to partially replace metakaolin as a geopolymer material because of its useful mechanical characteristics.