Investigation of Glass- Steel Slag Foam Composite Sintering in Presence of SiC

Amorphous steel slag was blended with different concentrations of waste glass (20, 40, 50, 60, 70 wt.%) and SiC to obtain a composite. According to Hot Stage Microscopy images, slag-glass composite contractions started at 1050 ºC. scanning electron microscope micrographs of slag-SiC (foaming agent) composite revealed tunnel-like porosities of 500 to 1000 microns. Gaseous products of carbide decomposition led to the formation of these tunnel-like porosities. By adding up to 50 wt. % of waste glass to this composite and sintering at 1200 ° C, the size of cavities decreased by 10 times and achieved 50 microns to form spherical cavities. By increasing glass content, the total porosity of slag-glass-SiC increased to 80 wt.% followed by a decrease in the strength to 3.2 MPa. Having an overall density of 0.8 g/cm3, the slag-glass composite could be classified as a porous foam material. Pseudo Waltonite phase was also detected in this composite after sintering.