Properties of Glass-Ceramics Synthesized from Blast Furnace Slag with Different Sizes

Glass-ceramics were made from ground blast-furnace slag and other additives using a conventional ceramic-sintering route. The weight percent of blast furnace slag reached more than 90% in raw material. The size influence of slag powders on the properties of glass-ceramics was investigated. The main crystalline phase of glass-ceramic is melilite. A high microhardness between 4.4 to 5.2 GPa and a bending strength between 74 to 90 MPa as well as a density between 2.5 to 2.8 g/cm3 were obtained. The result indicated that the obtained glass-ceramics present desirable properties for building materials, and this may be an attractive method for making useful and marketable products from the waste of iron production.