Glass foams produced from glass and yerba mate (Ilex paraguarinensis) waste

Abstract

In this study, compositions containing green glass bottles and desiccated and crushed yerba mate (Ilex paraguarinensis) of different mass fractions (10-30%) were prepared to obtain glass foams for thermal insulation purposes. These compositions were uniaxially pressed (at 40 MPa), and the compact powders were fired at 850°C and 900°C for 60 min in order to investigate the effect of yerba mate and temperature on the formation of pores and the thermal and mechanical properties of the processed glass foams. The results indicated that the glass foams displayed porosities ranging from 65.3-88.3%, compressive strengths ranging from 15-1.5 MPa, and thermal conductivities ranging from 0.6-0.04 W·m-1·K-1. Cumulatively, these glass foams are candidate thermal insulators that have advantageous properties for various industrial applications.