Fundamental study on reaction between waste glass and aluminun scrap

Fundamental studies were performed on the reaction kinetics and the microstructures of the reaction products between soda-lime glass and molten Al (and synthesized Al scrap alloy) in order to fabricate a composite material using waste glass and aluminum scrap. The reaction layer of soda-lime glass with molten Al grew as a function of square root of the reaction time at 700°C, indicating that the kinetics is governed by the mass transfer rate. The following features were demonstrated according to the compositional mapping image of the un-reacted glass, the reacted layer and the metal (Al) matrix: 1. Si was reduced from SiO ₂ and dissolved into Al, and solidified in the Al matrix. The Si concentration was low in the reacted layer. 2. Na, K also dissolved into Al. However, Na segregated in the un-reacted glass at the reaction interface. 3. Ca oxide in the glass was not reduced with Al, hence Ca was not dissolved into the Al matrix. 4. Mg was distributed in all areas of the glass, the reaction layer and in the Al matrix. These tendencies were discussed with the thermodynamic consideration. The amount of Si in the metal layer increased as the decrease in the glass particle size, because of increase in the total area of the reaction surface. The similar results on the reaction kinetics and the microstructures were obtained in the reaction between the wasted glass and the synthesized Al scraps.