Research of Glass-Ceramic Material Synthesis Through Waste By-Product Sintering from Mining and Metallurgical Activities

This study analyzes the possibility of producing glass-ceramics from chromite tailings, coal fly ash (Class F), and red mud industrial wastes in Türkiye. Unlike previous studies that typically used binary mixtures or different compositional ratios, this study introduces a novel ternary combination with a fixed 1:2:3 ratios (fly ash: chromite tailings: red mud). This specific ratio was optimized through experimental trials and found to enhance sinterability, mechanical strength, and microstructural stability. The glass-ceramics obtained using this ratio demonstrated compressive strength, water absorption, and density of 12.21 MPa, 0.44%, and 2.05 g/cm³, respectively. The resultant products were analyzed by XRD and leaching tests, which confirmed quartz-based crystalline phases and negligible leaching of toxic metal ions. These findings propose a new strategy for environmentally benign waste recycling, aligned with green chemistry principles and the UN Sustainable Development Goal 12.