Production of Foamed Glass by Induction Heating Method

Abstract

The application possibility of an alternative new method with low energy consumption was studied for the eco-friendly fabrication of foamed glasses from waste glasses. As a result, fabricating temperature can be reduced under 300 degrees C without using various expensive inorganic oxidants. The foamed glass can be fabricated at a proper mixing ratio of the waste glass powder, water glass, little surfactant and bubble stabilizer by induction heating method. In the experimental range, the assured optimal condition is 4 min heating on the induction machine with a steel-container (100 mm x 100 mm x 20 mm) and followed by evaporating and drying process for 11 min with 110 g of glass powder, 80 g of water glass, 3 g of surfactant and 0.2 g of bubble stabilizer. When the foamed glass was fabricated at the optimal condition, the density of the glass was 0.85 g/cm(3) and the heat conduction was 0.052 W/h.K. In addition, the compressive strength of the glass was above 50 kg/cm(2).