Preparation and characterization of glass–ceramic foams from blast furnace slag and waste glass

Abstract Glass–ceramic foams were produced by using blast furnace slag (BFS) and waste glass as raw materials, choosing TiO 2 , ZrO 2 , and CaF 2 as nucleating agents, and adding CaCO 3 , Na 3 PO 4 ·12H 2 O, and Na 2 B 4 O 7 ·5H 2 O as a foaming agent, a foaming stabilizer and a flux agent, respectively. The effects of different BFS contents on the microstructure, bulk density, water absorption, and bending strength of the glass–ceramic foams were investigated. The results showed that glass–ceramic foams with 50 wt% BFS exhibited excellent comprehensive properties (bulk density 0.79 g/cm 3 , water absorption 2.71%, and bending strength 14.34 MPa). The new development for preparation of glass–ceramic foams is a good way to recycle BFS and waste glass, so that it could create huge economic and environmental benefits.