Using waste glass as a partial flux substitution and pyroplastic deformation of a porcelain stoneware tile body

The glass phase composition of fired porcelain stoneware samples was used as a benchmark for the incorporation of waste glass into whiteware bodies. Starting from a commercial standard porcelain stoneware body mix, a new mix was prepared by partially replacing feldspathic sands with scrap soda-lime glass and additional clay, to keep the overall chemical composition, and therefore the glassy phase composition constant. The resulting bodies have similar characteristics and properties. The glassy phase compositions of the two bodies are similar and moreover do not vary significantly from the glassy phase compositions of commercial whiteware bodies studied in previous work. Pyroplastic deformation was also measured and the body containing recycled glass had significantly lower deformation compared to the standard body. This difference was attributed to poor mixing in the standard body, as is supported by the quartz particle separation distance distribution in the fired microstructure.