Glass Powder
Refractory Application
Glass powder is a versatile material that’s known for its high heat resistance and high silica content. In the refractory application, it is used most often as a source of silica and acidity during the production of iron and steel. Fire brick is a common use of silica glass powder that demonstrates its ability to withstand high heat and retain its stability.
- Widely used in the production of refractory materials
- Can be used as a partial substitute for Portland cement and aggregate
- Lessens the environmental impact of “unrecyclable” glass
- Lessens the environmental impact of Portland cement production
Specifications
- 100% recycled
- Made from soda-lime glass
- Bulk Density 1.4 g/cm3
- Milled to -150 micron or to your custom requirements
Data Sheets
General Information
Glass powder is glass that has been finely ground. The type of glass ground has a large impact on the properties of the glass powder. The most common glass is soda-lime, which is made mostly of silicon dioxide, sodium oxides, calcium oxide, and alumina. Other ingredients might be added depending on the application the glass is intended for.
Generally speaking, recycled glass isn’t suitable for use by glass manufacturers because the glass will already contain colourants and other compounds that can affect the new product’s stability, colour, and other properties. Therefore, municipal waste and recycling is a large-scale, environmentally-friendly source for makers of ground glass, like African Pegmatite. This helps make glass powder a cost-effective material for industrial applications.
Glass Powder in Refractory Applications
Compounds with high heat resistance, strong thermochemical and mechanical characteristics, and high corrosion resistance are sometimes used in the creation of refractory materials. Refractory materials are used in foundry applications and other high-heat settings where the integrity and reliability of the materials are crucial to successful production or use.
Iron and steel production account for 70% of refractories worldwide. These are usually oxide materials that are classified based on their acidity, basicity, or neutrality. Glass powder is an acidic refractory compound. This is because the primary component of glass powder is silica. Because of its high melting point, silica is the most popular refractory oxide. One example of a silica refractory material is fir brick, which is used in steel production and contains glass powder as a primary component.
Application of Glass Powder in Concrete
Concrete is made by combining cement, aggregate, and water with any additives necessary to achieve the necessary properties, like colourants or plasticisers. Glass powder can be used as a pozzolan, which is a type of siliceous material that reacts in water and calcium hydroxide. The addition of pozzolans to a concrete mixture provides benefits like increased durability, longevity, strength, resistance, and a reduction in the necessary amount of Portland cement, the production of which creates an environmental burden.
Glass in concrete has been studied for decades, but the recent desire to lower production costs and reduce environmental impact has spurred renewed interest and investigation. Modern studies reveal that glass powder consisting of particles less than 10 microns in size can be added to concrete without decreasing strength or durability. Some studies have even revealed an increase in the strength of the concrete with the addition of glass powder, even when concrete content was reduced by 30%.
Glass powder can replace a fraction of both the cement and aggregate content of a concrete mixture with no detrimental effect. Self-levelling concrete does require some adjustment to the water-to-powder ratio when glass powder is incorporated. In general, a finer particle size is preferable, because the pozzolanic activity of the powder is based on the hydration of the powder, which is dependent on its surface area.
Using a suitable grind size of glass powder and sealing the concrete against atmospheric moisture should be done to avoid an alkali-silica reaction, which happens when hydroxyl ions in the cement react with silica in the glass in the presence of water. When this reaction occurs, it tends to produce a gel, which swells with moisture and causes cracks in the concrete. It should be noted, however, that this alkali-silica reaction is also seen in traditional concretes and should not be considered a reason to avoid the benefits of glass powder.
Other Applications of Glass Powder
- Glazes
- Refractory materials
- Soil improvement
- Improved brick
- Insulation
- Heat storage
Recycled glass powder is an effective oxide in the mixtures used to create ceramic glazes. Silica glazes have been shown in recent studies to perform as well and commercial glazes, but with additional chemical resistance. The addition of glass powder to clay soils improves its engineering properties, such as decreasing swelling values, increasing hardness when used for road laying, and increasing compressive strength.
These applications provide valuable uses for silica glass powder that will help to utilize much of the recycled glass that has, until recently, been considered unusable. These applications also help to lower production and operational costs in the relevant industries.
Packaging
Choose the packaging and shipping arrangement that best suits your needs, from small packaging to bulk bags or custom sizes made just for you. We can accommodate virtually any size, from one metric ton to thousands.
Convenience
We maintain competitive pricing in an effort to win and retain your business for as long as you need us. Our goal is to meet the needs of every customer, including those with special requests and demanding production schedules.
A 15-day general turnaround for manufacturing allows us to get your compounds to you as quickly as possible, so you can keep up with the demands of your business. Contact us to get in touch with a distributor in your area if you don’t have time to wait for materials.
We currently ship to 44 countries across the world and we’re happy to ship to yours, too. The dependable and professional logistics channels we have in place make it easy to offer great pricing and service regardless of your location.
African Pegmatite
With 48 years as professionals in mining and manufacturing, we have the insight, network, and experience to offer you the very best in quality, service, and efficiency. We’ve been accredited by the ISO 9001 since 2002 and have most recently met the 2015 standard.
We aim to provide the very best materials available to our customers, and become your one-stop shop for colourants, minerals, compounds, and more. Take a look at our general refractory page to see all the other refractory and supplementary products we have available.
If you’d like to become a distributor of African Pegmatite products, get in touch with us and we’ll customise an arrangement with you.