Abstract:
In Australia, yearly, around 22,500 Tons of waste glasses (WG) are discarded from end-of-life vehicles being landfilled because of the costly and convoluted recycling process. This research is designed for recycling the automotive WG to produce sustainable glass foam by a modified method. Nonuniformity in size and distribution of pores within glass foam are major challenges in the traditional powder sintering method. Therefore, there is a continuous quest for searching sustainable and ecofriendly pore stabilizing chemicals. This research aimed to enhance pores' stability and uniformity through the curing of glass powder without any chemical stabilizing agent. The glass powder, additives, and foaming agent were mixed and hydrated using water. Then after curing, it was sintered (800℃). Due to the pozzolanic reactivity of glass, hydration products were formed during curing. These hydration products provided stability to the glass particles during sintering; therefore, the stability, uniformity in distribution, and pores' sizes were improved. Consequently, the strength and thermal insulation performance of glass foam were enhanced. Thus, the modified curing-sintering process shows the advancement in glass foam manufacturing. The sustainability of glass foam manufacturing is enhanced through the recycling of automotive waste glass. Additionally, the uses of chemical stabilizing agents and emissions from them are also eliminated. Besides, the curing process makes the glass foam sintering more convenient for large-scale industrial applications, which is complex in the powder sintering process.
Keywords: Vacuum insulation panel; Thermal radiation; Harsh environment; Heat flow direction index; Active thermal management system; Thermal protection