The use of Saudi slag for the production of glass-ceramic materials

Uniform, ultrafine, microcrystalline, glass-ceramic materials have been obtained successfully from silicon manganese slag and steel slag. The silicon manganese slag reached was about 90 wt.% and steel slag reached was about 57 wt.% of the batch constituents. Depending on the composition, batches were melted in the range of 1200–1300 °C. The glass obtained and the corresponding heat treated specimens were examined by DTA, X-ray diffraction and polarizing microscope. It has been found that increasing the content of the bustamite phase in the glasses, results in an increased bulk crystallinity when treated at 1000 °C/2 h. On the contrary, an increase in the content of fayalite phase in the glasses results in decreased bulk crystallinity when treated at 1000 °C/2 h.