Glass–ceramic from mixtures of bottom ash and fly ash

Along with the gradually increasing yield of the residues, appropriate management and treatment of the residues have become an urgent environmental protection problem. This work investigated the preparation of a glass–ceramic from a mixture of bottom ash and fly ash by petrurgic method. The nucleation and crystallization kinetics of the new glass–ceramic can be obtained by melting the mixture of 80% bottom ash and 20% fly ash at 950 °C, which was then cooled in the furnace for 1 h. Major minerals forming in the glass–ceramics mainly are gehlenite (Ca2Al2SiO7) & akermanite (Ca2MgSiO7) and wollastonite (CaSiO3). In addition, regarding chemical/mechanical properties, the chemical resistance showing durability, and the leaching concentration of heavy metals confirmed the possibility of engineering and construction applications of the most superior glass–ceramic product. Finally, petrurgic method of a mixture of bottom ash and fly ash at 950 °C represents a simple, inexpensive, and energy saving method compared with the conventional heat treatment.

► This work investigated the preparation of a glass–ceramic from a mixture of bottom ash and fly ash by the petrurgic method.
► The cooling duration and ratio of the initial materials are dominant factors in controlling all the characteristics of the final glass–ceramic.
► The petrurgic method represents a simple, inexpensive, and energy saving method compared with the conventional heat treatment.