Physical properties of EAF dust-loaded glass-ceramics

The glass and glass-ceramics containing EAF dust 30 similar to 70 wt% were fabricated and the dependance of physical properties upon crystal phases and microstructure formed was studied. The crystallization behavior of glass and glass ceramics containing various contents of EAF dust composing of mainly Fe2O3 and ZnO was analyzed by crystal identification and microstructure observation. The glass specimen with EAF dust 30 wt% showed a typical amorphous pattern in XRD results and the specimen with above 30 wt% EAF dust had some un-dissolved crystals which was originated from EAF dust. The all glass-ceramics had franklinite, willemite and augite crystal phases. The density of glass ceramics was higher than that of same composition glass, and it increased with EAF dust contents. In addition, the thermal and mechanical properties of glass-ceramics were always higher than those of glasses. In other words, the thermal expansion coefficient of glass increased with EAF dust contents while it decreased for the glass-ceramics. The vickers hardness for the glass and glass-ceramics increased with EAF dust content, the glass-ceramics always being higher those of glass of same composition.