Use of Rice Straw Ash in Enhancing the Properties of Soda-Lime-Silica Glass-Ceramics

Abstract

A study on the crystallization behavior of a soda-lime-silica glass composition incorporating rice straw ash was carried out. Melting was carried out at 1500°C in an alumina crucible for 5 hours. The glass produced was examined by differential scanning calorimetry to determine the glass transition and crystallization temperatures for use as heat-treatment temperatures to transform the glass into glass-ceramics. A similar composition made up using industrial chemicals was also melted for comparative purposes. Both glasses were heat-treated at 750°C and 920°C for 3 different soaking durations. Both glasses exhibited crystallization from the outer surface which increased in thickness as the soaking time was increased. Scanning electron microscopy was used to study the thickness and identity of the crystalline phases formed. Density and hardness measurements showed that the rice straw glass ceramics exhibited higher values than the glass-ceramics using industrial chemicals. The morphologies of the fracture surfaces of both glass-ceramic compositions were also evaluated by scanning electron microscopy.