The paper presents an unconventional technique for manufacturing foam glass gravel. The numerous experimental results obtained by the authors in the last year using various manufacturing recipes common in the world industrial production by conventional techniques were selected and subjected to a qualitative and energy efficiency comparative analysis, aiming to determine the best foam glass gravel manufacturing procedure under the conditions of the use of the microwave energy. The optimum recipe was composed of 83% glass waste, 1 % glycerol, 8 % sodium silicate and 8 % water. The maximum heating temperature reached 823 ºC with a very economical energy consumption of 0.88 kWh/kg. The sample characteristics were apparent density-0.24 g/cm3, porosity-89.1% with pore size between 0.3 - 0.6 mm, thermal conductivity-0.063 W/m·K and compressive strength - 5.9 MPa, almost similar to those industrially obtained.

The study aims to test an advanced technique but insufficiently valued in the world in the process of experimental manufacture of borosilicate glass foam. It is about the unconventional technique of heating solids by using the microwave radiation converted into heat. The experimental equipment on which the tests were performed was a 0.8-kW microwave oven commonly used in the household with constructive adaptations to be operational at high temperature. The adopted manufacturing recipe was composed of borosilicate glass waste with the addition of calcium carbonate, boric acid and water in different weight proportions. The material was sintered at 829-834 ºC by predominantly direct microwave heating and the optimal foamed product had characteristics similar to those manufactured by conventional techniques (apparent density of 0.33 g/cm3, thermal conductivity of 0.070 W/m•K, compressive strength of 3.1 MPa and a homogeneous microstructure with pore size between 0.7-1.0 mm). The energy efficiency of the unconventional manufacturing process was remarkable, the specific energy consumption being only 0.92 kWh/kg.

The paper presents experimental results obtained in the manufacturing process of a glass foam by adequate correlation between its physical and thermal properties (density, porosity, thermal conductivity) and mechanical (compressive strength) by a slight controlled overheating of the foamed material. Using a powder mixture of glass waste (87-91.5 %), coal fly ash (3-9 %) and silicon carbide (4-5.5 %) microwave heated at 935-975 ºC by this unconventional technique, constituting the originality of the work, was obtained a glass-ceramic foam with moderate compressive strength (1.8-2.6 MPa) and very low thermal conductivity (0.058-0.070 W/m·K). The material overheating generated a homogeneous porous structure characterized by closed cells with relatively large dimensions (without the tendency to join neighboring cells) making it difficult to transfer heat across the material. The foamed product is suitable for the manufacture of thermal insulation blocks for the inner or outer walls of the building without excessive mechanical stress, being an advantageous alternative by comparison with known types of polymeric or fiberglass thermal insulation materials.

Abstract                                                         According to the research objective that was the basis of the paper, an ultra-light glass foam with an apparent density of 0.14 g/cm3 was experimentally made from 98.9% post-consumer glass bottle and 1% CaCO3 as a foaming agent by sintering/foaming at 823 ºC in microwave field with a very low specific energy consumption (0.70 kWh/kg). A very advanced mechanical processing of glass waste (below 32 μm) and a very fine granulation (below 6.3 μm) of CaCO3 were the solutions adopted to obtain this high-performance product. The originality of the work is the use of the unconventional technique of predominantly direct microwave heating with a very high energy efficiency, applied by authors in recent years and presented in several previous papers.

Abstract                                                         The aim of the paper was the experimental manufacture of cellular glass from glass waste and coal ash as raw material and silicon carbide as a foaming agent, using the unconventional microwave heating technique. This heating technique, although known since the last century and recognized worldwide as fast and economical, is not yet industrially applied in high temperature thermal processes. The cellular glass manufacturing process requires high temperatures and the use of microwaves in this process is the originality of the work. The experiments aimed at producing thermal insulating materials with high porosity and low thermal conductivity for building construction similar in terms of quality to those manufactured industrially by conventional techniques, but with lower energy consumption. The obtained samples had adequate characteristics (apparent density 0.22-0.32 g/cm3, porosity 85.5-90.0%, thermal conductivity 0.043-0.060 W/m·K, compressive strength 1.23-1.34 MPa), and the specific energy consumption was low (0.84-0.89 kWh/kg). Theoretically, given the use of microwave equipment on an industrial scale, this consumption comparable in value to that industrially achieved by conventional techniques could decrease by up to 25%.