Production of cement blocks and new ceramic materials with high content of glass waste

Virgin inorganic raw materials can be partially replaced by glass waste in order to reduce the environmental impact being its recycling a significant problem for municipalities worldwide. In Italy in 2013, approximately 1, 600, 000 tons of container glass have been collected but it has not been possible to recycle all of them in the glass melting process. The valorization, reuse and reclamation of glass waste as raw material in new cement and ceramic products are here proposed with the aim to convert it from an environmental and economic burden to a profitable, added-value resource in the formulation of new mixes. Several parameters, such as grinding, forming, firing, etc. have been studied and optimized to transform glass waste in an alternative raw material for hot and cold consolidation processes. Chemical, physical and mechanical properties of products have proved that there are new and real possibilities to use high amounts of glass waste for fired items (up to 80wt%) and for cold cement mixes (up to 75wt%).