Glass-ceramics in the CaO–MgO–Al2O3–SiO2 system based on industrial waste materials

Cement kiln dust from Rabigh plant in Saudi Arabia was examined for use in the preparation of glass-ceramic materials. The cement kiln dust made up about 70 wt.% of the batch constituents depending on the composition. The cement kiln dust composition was sometimes modified by additions of other ingredients such as silica sand, granite and magnesite. The batches were melted and then casted into glass which was subjected to heat treatment to induce crystallization. Different techniques were used in the present study, including differential thermal analysis, polarizing microscope, X-ray diffraction and indentation microhardness. The colored glass and glass-ceramic materials obtained, possess very high hardness indicating high abrasion resistance, which make them suitable for many applications under aggressive mechanical conditions.