The influence of waste glass fiber powder incorporation on the mechanical and radiation shielding characteristics of mullite-based ceramics

This study examines waste glass fiber powder as a fluxing additive in mullite-based ceramics and its influence on mechanical properties and gamma radiation shielding. Ceramic samples with 0, 2.5, and 5 wt.% waste glass fiber powder were prepared from clay and andalusite mixtures and sintered at 1400 °C for 2 h. The effects of glass addition on the phase composition, microstructure, densification, mechanical hardness, and radiation attenuation were investigated. X-ray diffraction confirmed that mullite was the primary crystalline phase, and the glass powder promoted liquid-phase sintering and densification. The increased glass content improved the bulk density and hardness while reducing the porosity and water absorption. The radiation shielding parameters were calculated using XCOM, simulated using Geant4 code, and measured using a NaI(Tl) detector. The deviation values between the experimental and XCOM results range from 1.51–2.70%, 0.05–2.54%, and 0.52–1.49% for the MG0, MG2.5, and MG5 ceramics, respectively. The Geant4 and XCOM results ranged from 0.36 to 2.12%, 0.23 to 1.41%, and 0.18 to 2.06%, respectively. The differences between experimental and theoretical results did not exceed 2.70%. The results showed excellent agreement among the experimental, simulation, and theoretical data, with the highest glass content sample (MG5) exhibiting superior radiation attenuation across the tested energies. These findings demonstrate that waste glass fiber powder can be recycled into mullite ceramics to improve mechanical strength and radiation-shielding performance, providing a means to manage glass fiber waste in ceramic production.