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The origin of water anomalies hides in an experimentally inaccessible region of the phase diagram known as no-man's land, bounded at low temperature by the domain of stability of amorphous glasses, and at high temperature by the homogeneous nucleation line, below which liquid water loses its metastability. The existence of at least two different forms of glass on one side, i.e., the low-density amorphous (LDA) and the high-density amorphous (HDA) ices, and of one anomalous liquid on the other side, points to a hidden connection between these states, whose understanding has the potential to uncover what happens in no-man's land and shed light on the complex nature of water's behavior. Here, we develop a Neural Network scheme capable of discerning local structures beyond tetrahedrality. Applied over a wide region of the water's phase diagram, we show that the local structures that characterize both LDA and HDA amorphous phases are indeed embedded in the supercooled liquid phase. Remarkably, the rapid increase in the LDA-like population with supercooling occurs in the same temperature and pressure region where thermodynamic fluctuations are maximized, linking these structures with water's anomalies. At the same time, the population of HDA-like environments rapidly increases with pressure, becoming the majority component at high density. Our results show that both LDA and HDA are genuine glasses, and provide a microscopic connection between the non-equilibrium and equilibrium phase diagrams of water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this review, the structure of iron-containing soda-lime aluminosilicate glass–ceramics prepared by domestic waste slag from waste combustion plants in Japan and its simulated composite was investigated by 57Fe-Mössbauer spectroscopy. The photo-Fenton catalytic ability of the samples was evaluated by a degradation test using an aqueous methylene blue (MB) solution. The photo-Fenton catalytic efficacy of the specimens was assessed through a degradation examination employing an aqueous methylene blue (MB) solution. The MB degradation test recorded a k value of 2.25–2.65 × 10–3 min−1 using the composite of (silicate + iron oxide nanoparticles) prepared from domestic waste slag. The 57Fe-Mössbauer spectra were mainly composed of three sextets due to nanoparticles of Fe3O4 and α-Fe2O3. After exploring the chemical composition of soda lime iron aluminosilicates as domestic waste-modeled slag, we revealed that heat-treated simulated slag samples of 5Na2O-41.4CaO-20Al2O3-27.6SiO2-6Fe2O3 glass showed the largest k value of 115 × 10–3 min−1 under photo-Fenton reaction which highly covalent distorted FeIIIO4 caused. It is concluded that municipal waste slag can be a starting material for the Photo-Fenton catalyst with high activity, which contributes purification of wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work, the effect of Fe2O3 and MnO2-doped waste glasses in formula (100−x)waste glasses: x Fe2O3/MnO2 (x = 0.0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, and 1.0 mol%) were prepared using melt quenching technique and all glass sampled were investigated on physical and optical properties. The results exhibited that the density and refractive index of glass samples increased with Fe2O3/MnO2 content increased. The color of Fe2O3 and MnO2-doped waste glasses displayed yellow and purple, respectively, because of absorbance for Fe2O3 near 440 nm and 1,000 nm which homogeneous distribution of Fe3+ (440 nm: 6A1g(S) → 4T2g(G)) and Fe2+ (1,000 nm: 5T2g(D) → 5Eg(D)) ions in the glass matrices while MnO2 around 486 nm as absorption band is assigned to a single allowed 6A1g(S) → 4T1g(G) transition which arises from the Mn3+ ions (3d4 configuration) in octahedral symmetry. Moreover, the CIE L*a*b* for all glass samples were also investigated. The results indicated that glass production from waste glasses is possible and option for recycling waste glasses to produce artificial gems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid economic growth in recent years has led to the use of glass material in many activities, resulting in a large amount of glass waste. The efficient use of waste glass recycling has gained increasing attention. Researchers propose a method for recycling waste glass to reduce glass manufacturing costs and investigate the physical, optical, and luminescence properties of chromium oxide-doped glass with the stoichiometry of (35-x) B2O3: 35SiO2 (use waste glass as SiO2): 12Na2O: 7.9CaO: 0.1Sb2O3: 10BaO: xCr2O3 when x = 0.00 to 0.05 mol%. Glass was synthesized using the melt quenching at 1,200 degrees Celsius for 3 h. Archimedes' principle and the Abbe refractometer were used to calculating density and refractive index decrease with the addition of 0.01 mol% of Cr3+ concentration. At room temperature, absorption spectra were analyzed using a UV-VIS-NIR spectrometer exhibiting two broadband at 438 and 625 nm intense bands, and the luminescence properties of the Cr3+ glasses system were investigated using an excitation wavelength of 567 nm, with luminescence peaks observed around 750 nm. CIE L* a* b* shows the green color. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large amounts of waste glass are generated along with the manufacturing of glass products, causing detrimental effects on the environment. Through crushing and ball-milling, waste glass powder (WGP) can be acquired from glass bottles and has been suggested in cementitious systems due to its potential pozzolanic activity. To better understand the impact of WGP on cementitious composites, experimental tests of rheology, heat of hydration, and strength development were conducted on cement pastes with and without WGP. Results show that the rheological performance of cement paste is improved when WGP with particles passing through 80 μm sieves is incorporated. The retarding effect and pozzolanic reaction were observed through X-ray diffraction patterns and thermo-gravimetric parameter analyses. A calcium hydroxide (CH) content calculation further confirms the secondary reactivity of WGP in cement pastes. Compared with the samples without WGP, the normalized CH content of binder per unit mass containing 35% WGP decreased by 21.01%, 24.94%, and 27.41% at the ages of 1, 28, and 90 days, respectively, which contributes to late-age strength development of pastes. At the same time, the hydration per unit of cement was increased by 21.53%, 15.48%, and 11.68%, which improved the cement efficiency. In addition, WGP particles provide nuclei for hydration products, facilitating the subsequent growth of C-S-H and strength development in late ages. Based on value engineering analysis, WGP was found to reduce the impact of Portland cement on the environment by 34.9% in terms of carbon dioxide emissions, indicating a bright prospect for WGP in the cement industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recycling of photovoltaic modules has been a topic of increasing interest over the last years. At industrial scale, delamination of the module structure, which represents the first step in the recycling process, is currently achieved by multi-stage crushing. However, the quality of the outputs obtained through subsequent processing is low and offers room for improvement. Milling was investigated as an alternative physical delamination method. Lab-scale experiments were conducted to evaluate the applicability of the technology in general, as well as comparing a process by which all non-glass layers are removed at the same time (one-step) with one where the backsheet is removed as a separate fraction (two-step). Furthermore, a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the resulting outputs in each case was performed. Results show effective delamination by the milling process. Advantages in comparison to the currently used delamination techniques are identified in regard to the quality of the recovered glass, which is separated directly during delamination as well as the fact that the subsequent processing can therefore be focused on the polymers, metals and silicon contained within the removed materials. Some possibly problematic aspects in regard to upscaling have also been identified and discussed. While the two-step process enables the recovery of more homogenous outputs, it is also associated with a higher effort regarding input characterization and the milling process itself. In order to reach a conclusion about which process option is more feasible, additional investigations concerning the milling process, the input material and the output fractions are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Massive amounts of deposited coal gangue derived from the mining industry constitute a crucial problem that must be solved. On the other hand, common knowledge about the recycling of glass products and the reuse of waste glass is still insufficient, which in turn causes economic and environmental problems. Therefore, this work investigated lightweight geopolymer foams manufactured based on coal gangue, metakaolin, and a mix of them to evaluate the influence of such waste on the geopolymer matrix. In addition, the effect of 20% (wt.) of waste glass on the foams was determined. Mineralogical and chemical composition, thermal behaviour, thermal conductivity, compressive strength, morphology, and density of foams were investigated. Furthermore, the structure of the geopolymers was examined in detail, including pore and structure thickness, homogeneity, degree of anisotropy, porosity with division for closed and open pores, as well as distribution of additives and pores using micro-computed tomography (microCT). The results show that the incorporation of waste glass increased compressive strength by approximately 54% and 9% in the case of coal-gangue-based and metakaolin-based samples, respectively. The porosity of samples ranged from 67.3% to 58.7%, in which closed pores constituted 0.3–1.8%. Samples had homogeneous distributions of pores and additions. Furthermore, the thermal conductivity ranged from 0.080 W/(m·K) to 0.117 W/(m·K), whereas the degree of anisotropy was 0.126–0.187, indicating that the structure of foams was approximate to isotropic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because of their excellent properties, glass-ceramics have been widely developed and applied in many fields, and there are many potential application values to be disseminated. The preparation of glass-ceramics from industrial slag and metallurgical waste provides a new way for the comprehensive utilization of solid waste. Coal gangue is the largest of all kinds of industrial waste slag, while iron tailings and high-carbon ferrochrome slag also occupy a large proportion of China's industrial solid waste. With cheap industrial solid waste as the main raw material, the production of high-value-added glass-ceramics can reduce pollution, protect the ecological environment, and have good economic and social benefits. Cordierite glass-ceramics were prepared using the sintering method with coal gangue, iron tailings, and high-carbon ferrochrome slag as the main raw materials. Meanwhile, an iron silicon alloy containing chromium was obtained. The heat treatment system of basic glass was determined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and the sintered product was analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). An orthogonal test was used to analyze the effects of the mass of basic glass powder, molding pressure, and holding time on the grain size and crystallinity of the samples. The hardness, acid and alkali resistance, density, and water absorption of the sintered products were determined. The results show that the main crystal phase of the prepared glass-ceramics is cordierite. The optimal combination for the green body is "basic glass powder mass 6 g, molding pressure 35 MPa, holding time 10 min". The properties of glass-ceramics are good. At the crystallization temperature of 970 °C, the Vickers hardness is up to 866 HV, and the bulk density is up to 2.99 g/cm3. This study may provide a useful reference for the treatment of industrial solid waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increased demand for cladding in high-rise buildings has prompted engineers to explore alternative products utilizing recycled materials. However, ensuring fire compliance in these alternative claddings, which are predominantly composed of low-volume polymer-based composites, poses a critical challenge. Traditional experimental methods for fire evaluation are costly, time consuming, and environmentally impactful. Considering this, a numerical approach was proposed for evaluating the fire performance of glass-polymer composite materials, which contain a high proportion of recycled glass and a lower percentage of rigid polyurethane. A cone calorimeter test was simulated using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software to investigate the flammability of the novel glass–polymer composite material. This validated numerical model was employed to assess the combustibility of the glass–polyurethane composite materials and identify influential parameters using the Design of Experiments (DoE) method. Statistical analysis revealed that three material properties, namely, the heat of combustion, the absorption coefficient, and the heat of reaction, significantly influenced the peak heat release rate (pHRR) of the glass–polyurethane composite materials compared to other properties. Based on these findings, an empirical equation was proposed that demonstrates a reasonable correlation with the pHRR of low-polymer recycled glass composite materials. The outcomes of this study hold considerable importance for understanding and predicting the combustibility behaviour of low-polymer–glass composites. By providing a validated numerical model and identifying critical material properties, this research contributes to the development of sustainable fire safety solutions for buildings, enabling the use of recycled materials and reducing reliance on conventional claddings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Stratum Plus Journal is the property of P.P. Stratum plus and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Pressure‐sensitive adhesives (PSAs) are made from soft, irreversibly lightly crosslinked polymers. Even after removal from surfaces, they retain insoluble networks which pose problems during the recycling of glass and cardboard. Herein, degradable PSAs are presented that provide the required performance in use but have networks that can be degraded after use. A series of copolymers was prepared through radical copolymerization of n‐butyl acrylate, 4‐acryloyloxy benzophenone (ABP) photo‐crosslinker, and dibenzo[c,e]oxepin‐5(7H)‐thione (DOT) to provide degradable backbone thioesters. The optimum tack and peel strengths were found for molar contents of 0.05 mol% ABP and 0.25 mol% DOT. Degradation of the backbone thioesters through aminolysis or thiolysis led to the full dissolution of the networks, loss of adhesive properties of films (decreases in the measured tack and peel strengths), and the quick detachment of model labels from a substrate. Inclusion of DOT into PSAs offers a viable route toward degradable and recyclable packaging labels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Through enhanced IBA treatment extensive metal recovery is possible. • Bottom ashes from fluidized bed contain far more glass than from grate incineration. • Glass can be recovered from fluidized bed, but not from grate IBA. • Fluidized bed IBA is better suited for concrete production than grate IBA. Enhanced treatment of incineration bottom ashes (IBA) from municipal solid waste incineration can contribute to a circular economy since not only metals can be recovered but also glass for recycling. Moreover, the remaining mineral fraction can be utilized in concrete as manufactured aggregate. To evaluate the effects of an enhanced treatment, three IBAs from fluidized bed combustion (FB-IBAs) and three grate incineration bottom ashes (G-IBAs) were standardly treated in a jig and further processed on a pilot scale, including improved metal recovery and sensor-based glass separation. The removed glass fractions were weighed and their composition was assessed by means of manual sorting. The manufactured aggregate was also sorted manually and its total and leachate contents were determined before and after aging. Results showed general differences between FB-IBAs and G-IBAs. For G-IBAs, higher contents of heavy metals and residual metal pieces were determined, while the share of glass removed was low compared to FB-IBA. The treated mineral fractions from G-IBA contained more mineral agglomerates, whereas FB-IBAs contained more glass. However, the glass-fractions removed from FB-IBAs need further treatment to be accepted in glass recycling. Austrian limit values for utilization in concrete were met by all manufactured aggregates produced from FB-IBA, but only by one from G-IBA. Overall, the enhanced treatment in the study performed well compared to the literature. Nevertheless, further investigations are necessary to improve the recyclability of the recovered glass fractions and to determine the technical suitability of manufactured aggregates produced from IBAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thirty six glass items excavated at Cârlomăneşti and Pietroasa Mică, Buzău County, Romania (3rd c. BC – 1st c. AD) were analysed for their chemical composition using external PIXE-PIGE at AGLAE accelerator, Paris and external PIXE at the 3 MV Tandetron™ accelerator, Măgurele, to reveal the raw materials and manufacturing procedures, trying to reconstruct the links between the Geto-Dacian populations and the Hellenistic, Celtic and Roman ones during that historical time. The archaeological hypothesis was that these vitreous artefacts were luxury goods imported as such, made of fresh glass. The analyses showed that the objects were shaped from natron glass, with recipes typical for the Hellenistic period. Occasionally, glass recycling indicators were evidenced. Hints about the decolorizers (antimony, manganese) or chromophores (manganese, iron, cobalt, copper) were obtained. This archaeometric study is a pioneering one, considering the absence from the literature of compositional data on glass finds discovered in Geto-Dacian settlements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increase in end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) has highlighted the need for more advanced ELV dismantling and recycling processes. To understand the flow of ELVs after disposal, this study conducted a material flow analysis of ELVs by dividing the ELV recycling process into the stages of discarding, collection, treatment, resource recovery, and sales/export. According to our analysis, the recycling rate of ELVs in South Korea was 88.7%. Losses in liquid waste, airbags, waste refrigerants occurred due to their destruction or releasement into the atmosphere during the recycling process, and losses in the heat energy produced by formal sectors occurred at the final stage of ELV recycling. Valuable scrap metal, reusable parts, and ferrous and nonferrous metals were relatively well-recycled, pointing to the need to promote the recycling of less valuable materials, such as plastic, glass, rubber, and sheet foam. Metals recovered through shredding and automotive shredder residue (ASR) recycling are sold to steel mills and refineries, and the heat energy recovered through ASR recycling is supplied to nearby industrial facilities. Additional material flow analysis of ELVs will help identify the obstacles hindering the improvement of Korea's ELV recycling rate and develop appropriate policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at circular economy we must provide strategies for reuse of EoL (end of life) glass products, for maintenance and increase high material recycling quotas and be open for new technologies. The well-established returnable bottle system in Germany is an almost perfect example for product recycling, albeit in a confined market segment for certain beverages. On the other hand, recycling nonpackaging glass is tremendously far from closed cycles. The glass packaging market has grown slowly but successfully in spite of the competition from PET and other plastics. Glass producers struggle with even higher energy prices and will focus more and more on renewable energies. Consumers are aware that glass offers an alternative to increasing packaging waste. Which future tasks result from this situation? Three main topics arise for container glass: less one-way packaging, more returnable packaging, and innovative strategies for collection and sorting. Knowledge on the best practice examples is expected to be transferred to non-container glasses. An overview on the current status of demands is being documented with the goal of more ideas being generated to assist in glass recycling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High cost and low mechanical strength are the main obstacles for the large-scale application of glass fiber separator in Na-ion batteries. Recycling of glass fiber separator is an important mean to reduce cost, but secondary film formation of glass fiber in the recycling process is the key problem. In this work, glass fibers are extracted from waste glass fiber separators and then compounded with cellulose. The recycled separator is successfully prepared through a simple slurry sieving technology. Attributed to effective combination of cellulose and glass fiber, the mechanical strength of recycled separator (81.5 Mpa) has been significantly improved relative to original fiberglass separator (0.3 Mpa), while the cost is greatly reduced. As paired with Na x Ni[Fe(CN) 6 ]/Na metal, the battery delivers fine cycle stability (93.3% of capacity retention after 500 cycles at 1 C) and high rate performance (73.2% of specific capacity retention at 10 C). The above results open a new path for the recycling of glass fiber-based separators with excellent performance and low cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coal gangue (CG), which is mainly generated during coal excavation, mining, and coal washing, is an industrial solid waste that is recognized as an environmental pollutant. The ever‐increasing amount of CG produced is a serious threat to the ecological environment and property safety, especially in China, which is the largest coal producer and consumer in the world. Considerable studies have investigated means for utilizing CG worldwide. This review summarizes and discusses various porous inorganic materials made from CG, including cement‐based porous materials, porous bricks, porous ceramics (cordierite and mullite) and glasses, porous geopolymers, zeolites, aerogels, and porous carbon materials. Different preparation processes and performances of each type of porous inorganic materials were reviewed. Porous CG‐based materials can be used as promising adsorbents for the removal of various pollutants and have good potential for use in construction industry as well as catalyst material applications. Besides, porous materials obtained from CG have also been tested as slow‐release fertilizers after the absorption of phosphate, as electrode materials, and as oil‐in‐water separation agents. The systematic summary of porous materials based on CG aims at promoting high‐value‐added applications for this waste. Future research directions for the use of CG as a raw material are also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sandy, gravelly or stony soils with low nutrient supply or plant available water are common in the table grape growing regions of South Africa. A field study was carried out to determine if an ameliorant recycled from waste glass could enhance the nutrient and water supply during the establishing phase of table grapes. Two grades of ameliorant, i.e. fine and coarse, were incorporated into the soil before the grapevines were planted. No ameliorants were applied to the control. After planting, the grapevines were irrigated by using 2.1 L/h drippers. To establish whether the ameliorants could compensate if less water is applied, the same treatments were applied under 1.2 L/h drippers. In general, the grapevines responded positively to the higher irrigation volumes, irrespective of ameliorant application. Where higher irrigation volumes were applied, the ameliorants did not have any positive effect on soil chemical or grapevine nutrient status compared to the control. This showed that the ameliorants were chemically inert under the given conditions. The ameliorants also did not improve grapevine water status, vegetative growth, yield or juice characteristics. Likewise, the ameliorants could not compensate for any measured aspect of grapevine performance where less irrigation was applied. In general, the ameliorants did not meet the expectations. Considering the additional costs of the ameliorant application, and the lack of positive grapevine responses, this practice cannot be justified under the given, or comparable conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, an effort was made for the first time to develop novel catalysts by recycling broken borosilicate glass (BSG) loaded with iron and cobalt for the abatement of methylene blue (MB) and COD from real textile wastewater. In the study, the comparison of adsorption, single ozonation (SO), and catalytic ozonation with both catalysts (Fe-BSG) and (Co-BSG) for the removal of MB was evaluated on various operational parameters such as ozone flow (0.552–1.08 mg/min), reaction time (2–23 min), catalyst dose (1.25–5 g/L), and pH (4–10). Moreover, the prepared catalysts Fe-BSG and Co-BSG were characterized by SEM, FTIR, EDS, and BET. Furthermore, results revealed that the Co-BSG/O3 was more efficient than others and decolorization of MB was found to be 6.2%, 72%, 79%, and 92% at 6.8 pH in 8 min, and removal of COD was 3.5%, 69%, 81%, and 93% at pH 6.8 in 40 min for BSG, SO, Fe-BSG/O3, and Co-BSG/O3, respectively. In the current investigation, the tert-butyl alcohol effect exposed the leading role of hydroxyl radicals during Co-BSG/O3 as the MB efficiency was reduced by 28% in addition of hydroxyl radical scavengers as compared to the SO process. It was found that the catalyst remained stable and efficient after 3 cycles due to the minute quantity of metal leached. Therefore, the studied novel advanced method may significantly be applied on the industrial scale for the abatement of dyes and COD from real textile wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering that wastes are harmfull for the environment and human health due to certain physical, chemical and biological reasons; the necessity of systematic implementation of waste management comes to the fore. Waste management provides advantages to for industrial manufacturing with less pollut on, cheaper and competitively superior products. With the waste recycling, the needs for raw materials and the impact of production on the environment will decrease. This study proposed to produce low-cost sintered glass-ceramic composite by adding a mixture of molten mining tailings, recycled glasses and alumina platelets at different rates. The results showed that glass-ceramic composite made by 50 wt % molten tailings, 25 wt % recycled borosilicate glass and 25 wt % alumina platelets exhibited the best properties (2.39 g/cm3 bulk density, 0.22 ± 0.01% water absorption and 84± 9 MPa bending strength). In this study, considering the consumptions of raw material resources, it was seen that glass and mine residues can be used as secondary raw materials in glass ceramic composite production when cost and environmental issues are matter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Atomic Energy Science & Technology is the property of Editorial Board of Atomic Energy Science & Technology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The use of recycled waste glass powder (RWGP) as a partial substitute for cement in cement-based materials offers a promising solution for reducing environmental impact and promoting sustainable waste management practices. An experimental study was conducted on a reference material made with Portland-limestone cement CEMII/A-LL42.5R and three other materials containing 50 wt% RWGP with different mean diameters, d50: 16, 18, and 25 µm. The main objective was to analyze the role of RWGP granularity in the short- and medium-term properties of the cement-based materials. The results showed that coarser RWGP granularity led to an increase in fluidity and Portlandite content, while water demand and mechanical properties decreased. However, the range of RWGP granularities tested did not significantly affect the initial setting time, fresh and dry density, hydration temperature, and water porosity. These findings suggest that the choice of RWGP granularity should depend on the desired properties of the cement-based material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Particulate materials are utilised in many applications to manipulate the friction between surfaces. This dataset provides the characteristics of particulates used as rail sand in the train's wheel/rail interface (via an on-board system) to facilitate the train's acceleration and deceleration. Seven materials are studied including Austrian rail sand, standard Great British rail sand, waste glass beads, recycled crushed glass, non-coated alumina, coated alumina, and dolomite. The main objective of this research is to provide a physical and mechanical characterisation of these granular materials in terms of their density, bulk behaviour, particle size, particle shape, hardness, reduced modulus, and mineralogical properties. In particular, three-dimensional raw and post-processed micro-computed tomography images of more than 1200 particles are shared. The results provide a detailed dataset which can be used in ongoing and future experimental and numerical investigations studying the role of particulates in the wheel/rail interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nuclear power is attracting renewed interest as an alternative power source because it is climate friendly with low greenhouse gas emissions, but its acceptance depends on the safe containment of nuclear waste under geological repositories. For the immobilization of high-level liquid waste (HLLW), borosilicate glass has been considered to be the preferred choice. Selecting suitable glass composition for the vitrification of HLLW is one of the major challenges in nuclear waste reprocessing. The fusion of valuable material properties has led to the acceptance of sodium borosilicate (NBS) glasses for nuclear waste immobilization. The mechanisms associated with these properties are only partially exposed and need further exploration. In that perspective, ZnO doping in borosilicate glasses was studied by performing experiments, classical molecular dynamics (MD), and ab-initio MD (AIMD) simulations. A significant change in glass structure was monitored from short-range order parameters (pair correlation function) and intermediate-range order parameters (angle distribution profiles). Order of connectivity illustrated that the hydrolysis of glass would slow down with the addition of ZnO in the glass matrix. Successively, the effect of microscopic structure on observable glass properties: chemical durability, mechanical strength, and thermal stability, was analyzed. Results show a good match of MD estimated trend for Young Modulus, glass transition temperature, and leaching data with the experimental observations, confirming the transferability of applied potential parameters for multi-component (n≥4) glasses. Both the experiments and MD simulations report the enhanced chemical durability of glass with ZnO addition. The enhanced chemical resistivity of Zn-NBS was also established from the increasing activation energy for the diffusion of Na ions. The combined studies from experiments and atomistic simulations disclose many fascinating microstructures and dynamics due to the presence of ZnO in the glass. The results presented here can be exploited to construe the experimental results and plan future experiments. The chemical, mechanical, and thermal strength of ZnO-incorporated sodium borosilicate glass was demonstrated by combined experiments and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The BKS interatomic potential was validated by ab-initio MD (AIMD) simulation. The results show the good mapping of MD-generated radial and angle distribution functions with the AIMD results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work explores the use of additive manufacturing (AM) to reprocess recycled glass and carbon fibers in the automotive sector. It aims to foster exploitation of recycled Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymers (rGFRPs) and recycled Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers (rCFRPs) through two manufacturing workflows: indirect Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) and UV-assisted Direct Ink Writing (UV-DIW). An industrial case study on vehicle components has been considered by prototyping one real component. After the tensile tests, some molds were fabricated with a FFF 3D printer for the indirect 3D printing process to cast an epoxy-based thermosetting resin with rGFs and rCFs. The second technology consisted in fabricating the parts by hardening in-situ a photo- and thermal-curable thermosetting acrylic liquid resin with rGFs. These results validate the use of AM and recycled composites for applications in the automotive sector. These approaches may be implemented for customizable components for batches below 100 vehicles as the first step for their exploitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With advancement of technology, requirements for light-emitting devices are increasing. Various types of packaging technologies have been suggested to improve the performance of light-emitting diode (LED). Among them, phosphor in glass (PiG) is attracting attention due to its manufactural facility and easily tunable characteristics. As PiG draws increasing attention, research on glass materials is also being actively conducted. However, studies about glass in the field of phosphor are mainly conducted on fabrication. Only a few studies about recycling have been reported. Thus, the objective of this study was to recycle waste glass discarded in other fields due to breakage and failure and use it to fabricate phosphor in glass. Cylindrical waste glass was pulverized into powder with an average size of 12 μm, mixed with a phosphor and sintered to be reborn as a phosphor in glass to broaden the recycling route for waste glass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vapor-deposited amorphous ice, traditionally called amorphous solid water (ASW), is one of the most abundant materials in the universe and a prototypical material for studying physical vapor-deposition processes. Its complex nature arises from a strong tendency to form porous structures combined with complicated glass transition, relaxation, and desorption behavior. To gain further insights into the various gas-trapping environments that exist in ASW and hence its morphology, films in the 25–100 μm thickness range were codeposited with small amounts of gaseous "nanoprobes" including argon, methane, helium, and carbon dioxide. Upon heating in the 95–185 K temperature range, three distinct desorption processes are observed which we attribute to the gas desorption out of open cracks above 100 K, from internal voids that collapse due to the glass transition at ∼125 K and finally from fully matrix-isolated gas induced by the irreversible crystallization to stacking disordered ice (ice Isd) at ∼155 K. Nanoscale films of ASW have only displayed the latter desorption process which means that the first two desorption processes arise from the macroscopic dimensions of our ASW films. Baffling the flow of water vapor toward the deposition plate greatly reduces the first desorption feature, and hence the formation of cracks, but it significantly increases the amount of matrix-isolated gas. The complex nature in which ASW can trap gaseous species is thought to be relevant for a range of cosmological processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the potential impact of changes in the iron and steel industries on the supply of cementitious slag to the concrete industry in the UK and Ireland. Cement production is a significant source of CO2 emissions, and reducing the clinker content in concrete is seen as a promising way to reduce its carbon footprint. The article explores the possibility of partially replacing cementitious slag with ground container glass as a way to conserve resources and reduce CO2 emissions. Additionally, the article highlights the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workforce, citing research that shows increased diversity leads to greater creativity and innovation. It also discusses the significance of ESG (environmental, social, and governance) principles in attracting top talent and fostering trust and financial success for businesses. [Extracted from the article]

This research incorporates sustainable materials such as ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) and recycled waste glass (RWG) as cement and fine aggregate replacement respectively to produce green dry mix mortar paving blocks. The GGBS and RWG contents in the mortar paving block were optimised using the response surface methodology (RSM), considering the performances of the ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV), flexural and compressive strengths, water absorption, and Cantabro loss. Life cycle assessment (LCA) was also conducted to evaluate the environmental impact of the optimised green mortar paving blocks. The RSM suggested that the paving block with optimum GGBS and RWG contents of 26.5% and 91.3%, respectively, could exhibit compressive strength of 36.5 MPa, which complied with the requirement for concrete segmental paving units (MA20). Excluding the mixes not fulfilling the MA20 requirement, the mix with 40% GGBS and 100% RWG exhibited the lowest values for the acidification potential (AP), global warming potential (GWP), photochemical oxidation (POCP), abiotic depletion potential for fossil fuel (ADPF), and water scarcity/strength ratio. Whereas, for eutrophication potential (EP) and abiotic depletion for elements (ADP (elements))/strength ratio, the mix with 100% RWG exhibited the lowest value. The optimised mix from RSM showed a similar performance as the two mixes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are wide applications that can be given to MCM-41 type silica nanoparticles. On the other hand, glass waste is produced in large quantities and is difficult to remove. Therefore, in this research work, the physicochemical properties of silica nanoparticles with mesoporous hexagonal structure type MCM-41 synthesized by alkaline sol-gel with sodium silicate (SS) obtained from recycled glass are compared against them synthesized at the same conditions but with commercial tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS). To obtain sodium silicate, an alkaline fusion process was performed and confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The products of the sol-gel synthesis were analyzed by low-angle X-ray diffraction (SAXRD), adsorption-desorption of N2, SEM and FTIR. The results show that, through the alkaline fusion process, the glass waste can be converted to sodium silicate and therefore can be used for the synthesis of MCM-41 type nanoparticles with physicochemical characteristics very similar to that obtained with commercial TEOS, as it was found that using SS as precursor spherical nanoparticles with a certain agglomeration can be obtained and that these particles have the hexagonal pore structure as the TEOS obtained particles, with a low broadening of the interplanar spaces and cell parameter; also, was observed that the surface properties are almost the same for samples obtained with both precursors. Therefore, the MCM-41 nanoparticles synthesized with glass waste could be used in any application in which this type of structure could be useful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar photovoltaics (PV) has emerged as one of the world's most promising power-generation technologies, and it is essential to assess its applications from the perspective of a material-energy-water (MEW) nexus. We performed a life cycle assessment of the cradle-to-grave MEW for single-crystalline silicon (s-Si) and CdTe PV technologies by assuming both PV systems are recycled at end of life. We found that the MEW network was dominated by energy flows (>95%), while only minor impacts of materials and water flows were observed. Also, these MEW flows have pyramid-like distributions between the three tiers (i.e., primary, secondary/sub-secondary, and tertiary levels), with greater flows at the primary and lower flows at the tertiary levels. A more detailed analysis of materials' circularity showed that glass layers are the most impactful component of recycling due to their considerable weight in both technologies. Our analysis also emphasized the positive impacts that increased power-conversion efficiency and the use of recycled feedstock have on the PV industry's circularity rates. We found that a 25% increase in power-conversion efficiency and the use of fully recycled materials in PV panel feedstocks resulted in 91% and 86% material circularity for CdTe and s-Si PV systems, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because of the increasing demand for photovoltaic energy and the generation of end-of-life photovoltaic waste forecast, the feasibility to produce glass substrates for photovoltaic application by recycling photovoltaic glass waste (PVWG) material was analyzed. PVWG was recovered from photovoltaic house roof panels for developing windows glass substrates; PVWG was used as the main material mixed with other industrial waste materials (wSG). The glass was casted by air quenching, annealed, and polished to obtain transparent substrates samples. Fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) was deposited as back contact on the glass substrates by spray pyrolysis. The chemical composition of the glass materials was evaluated by X-ray fluorescence (XRF), the thermal stability was measured by differential thermal analysis (DTA) and the transmittance was determined by UV-VIS spectroscopy. The surface of the glass substrates and the deposited FTO were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the amorphous or crystalline state of the specimens were determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and the sheet resistance was evaluated by the four-point probe method. The sheet resistance of the deposited FTO on the wSG substrate was 7.84 ± 3.11 Ω/□, lower than that deposited on commercial soda-lime glass (8.48 ± 3.67 Ω/□), meaning that this material could present improved conduction of the produced electrons by the photovoltaic effect. This process may represent an alternative to produce glass substrates from waste materials that could be destined for photovoltaic applications, especially the production of ecological photovoltaic windows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Typically, waste glass industry contributes to various harmful environmental impacts. Glass manufacturing relies on considerably extreme temperature values. 22 million tons in Europe and 95 million tons of carbon dioxide are generated globally per annum. Meantime, scholars noted that million tons of waste glass produced worldwide yearly could cause elevated levels of water and air pollution due to the accumulation of waste glass in landfills. In this setting, researchers dedicated numerous efforts to create feasible strategies and active solutions to alleviate all these significant numbers. One of those solutions is the waste glass recycling. It is reported that recycling waste glass provides efficient air pollution and water contamination mitigation by roughly 20% and 50%, respectively. One sector that took into account this valuable idea is the concrete industry. Scientists discovered that substituting specific ratios of cement/ sand with waste glass (including 0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, and 90%) in concrete could achieve substantial added values in terms of mechanical properties, such as better durability, abrasion resistance, flexural strength, compressive strength, and splitting tensile strength. Few, at the same time, found that adding waste glass into concrete could reduce facilities' cooling and heating loads due to the decline in the concrete's thermal conductivity. Nonetheless, the available literature lacks adequate proofs associated with this fact. Additionally, different peer-reviewed articles did not address the application of this concept on Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC) but on regular concrete. To bridge this knowledge gap, this manuscript is guided to provide more databases on the influence of cement/ sand replacement with waste glass on concrete's thermal characteristics yet paying special attention on UHPC. A comprehensive review is implemented in this context to shed light on these aspects. Based on the thorough review carried out in this article, the outcomes revealed that employing waste glass in concrete and UHPC could attain multiple advantages, like (i) Enhancing variant UHPC and concrete's mechanical properties (containing split tensile strength, compressive strength, compaction, durability, flexural strength, bulk density, and shrinkage resistance), (ii) fostering thermal conductivity and thermal resistance, helping make the building of this new concrete mix more energy efficient, (iii) minimizing glass industry's adverse environmental effect, (iii) preserving natural resources, and (iv) reducing the overall budget of UHPC production. However, it is crucial to conduct further experimental and numerical analyses on waste glass replacement with concrete to offer more pieces of evidences and facts of the importance of waste glass replacement in boosting UHPC thermal performance in small and large-scale facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taking into account the numerous previous attempts to use waste glass for concrete production, an approach was proposed based solely on car side window glass waste. Only side window waste emerging during the production of car side windows was used during the research program. In this way, all key properties of the waste glass were under control (purity, granulometric properties, etc.). Two types of concretes with crushed side window glass, playing the role of coarse aggregate, were created. Concretes were differentiated by the amount of added crushed side window glass, which replaced 10-50% of the natural aggregate. Created concretes were thoroughly tested in the state of both a fresh mix and hardened composite. Consistency and air content of fresh mixes were tested. Slump was ranging from 15 mm to 20 mm and air content was ranging from 2.5% to 3.1%. Hardened composites were used to test apparent density, compressive strength, water absorption, water-tightness and resistance to freeze-thaw cycles. It was proven that concrete with side window glass as partial aggregate substitution is characterized by satisfactory mechanical properties (compressive strength after 28 days of curing was ranging from 51.9 MPa to 54.7 MPa), enabling its application as ordinary structural concrete. Properties of both fresh concrete mixes and hardened concretes based on crushed side window glass are similar to a reference concrete. It was proved that it is possible to replace up to 50% of natural coarse aggregate by crushed side window glass. Possible applications of the concretes in question were proposed. Experience gained during the research program is likely to be useful for tests of using crushed side window glass sourced from decommissioned cars and trucks. Areas where future research is needed are indicated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A critical issue in the design of structural glass elements in buildings is represented by the evaluation of thermally induced stresses and strains. For both climatic actions and fire, thermal stresses represent one of the main causes of premature failure, due to the high sensitivity of glass to temperature gradients. Thermal loads pose a severe safety risk for glass, due to their uneven distribution but also the lack of knowledge on the modification of mechanical properties with temperature. In design practice, approximate tools are used to describe temperature fields in glazing, which do not adequately estimate the thermally induced stresses. Additionally, the existing standards prescribe different methods for the calculation of both the temperature field and the consequent stress, usually based on strong simplifying assumptions, and there is a lack of uniformly defined procedures. Here, an accurate review of the state of the art on glass elements exposed to thermal actions, from both the scientific and the regulatory perspectives, is presented. Reference is made first to the evaluation of the thermal actions, and further to the proper assessment of both the temperature distribution and the consequent thermal stress. The paper also emphasizes open problems and future perspectives related to these topics, to evidence areas of research that should be strengthened and possible future enhancements to the current design and assessment methodologies, which should also be introduced in a regulatory framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article we evaluate the possibility of using glass coated magnetic microwires as an alternative to optical fiber devices in structural health monitoring in the railway industry. The effect of applied stress on hysteresis loops of Fe71.80B13.27Si11.02Nb2.99Ni0.92 and Co65.34Si12.00B10.20Cr8.48Fe3.90Mo0.08 microwires has been studied and analyzed. An interpolation function has been obtained relating the coercitivity Hc with the applied stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]