Article published in Ceramics International

Foamed glass is a lightweight material, most commonly used in construction as thermal insulation. Due to the unique combination of useful properties and the possibility of preparing the material from waste, foamed glass is a promising candidate to become a green material in the future. 

In her latest study, dr. Sonja Smiljanić from the Advanced Materials Department (JSI) demonstrated the influence of various foaming additives on the crystallization and thermal conductivity of the waste container glass. Crystallization strongly influences the formation of the porous structure within the foamed glass and consequently affects the properties of the final product. The study demonstrates the complexity of crystallization in different mixtures of the waste glass and foaming additives, while exploring the means of crystallization inhibition with great potential for the reduction of thermal conductivity. The study provides a new insight into the crystallization and crystallization inhibition of the foaming mixtures for the preparation of waste based foamed glass.