Utilization of cullets for the production of glass tiles through likn casting

Abstract

The study explored the technique of kiln casting of glass as a means of recycling glass for aesthetic and functional purposes. Some disposed glass bottles were collected and processed through crushing, milling and sieving to particle sizes of 60, 80 and 120 mesh size. These particle sizes were batched and fired in an electric kiln to temperatures of 1050oc and 1180oc. The study revealed that the 60 mesh and 80 mesh specimens fired at 1180oc gave very good translucent effect with rich clear colour. It was observed that the sample that had addition of colouring oxides gave the best result when it was double fired. The results of the study revealed that the two major parameters that were investigated in this research, (temperature and particle sizes), had an effect on each other and that they were very important for the study. The study concludes that glass recycling through kiln casting presents an avenue for producing glass tiles for functional and aesthetic applications.Keywords: Cullets; kiln casting; glass tiles; recycling; melting temperature