Functional properties of glass–ceramic composites containing industrial inorganic waste and evaluation of their biological compatibility

A study has been carried out on the feasibility of using Latvian industrial waste (peat cool ash, fly ash, aluminium scrap metal processing waste, metallurgical slag and waste cullet glass) and raw mineral materials (limeless clay) to produce dense, frost resistant, chemically durable glass–ceramic materials by powder technology. Highly crystalline and dense products (density: 2.50–2.94 g/cm3, water uptake: 1.3–4.3%) were fabricated from different mixtures by sintering at temperatures in the range of 1060–1160 °C. Glass–ceramics were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and four point bending strength test. Chemical durability, soluble salt crystallization as well as biological tests were carried out in order to evaluate the environmental stability and possible toxicity of the materials. The novel glass–ceramics developed here can find applications as building materials, such as wall tiles and for manufacturing industrial floors.