Waste SiC powders obtained from silicon wafer sludge have very low density and a narrow particle size distribution of 10-20 μm. A scarce yield of C and Si is expected when SiC powders are incorporated into the Fe melt without briquetting. Here, the briquetting variables of the SiC powders are studied as a function of the sintering temperature, pressure, and type and contents of the binders to improve the yield. It is experimentally confirmed that Si and C from the sintered briquette can be incorporated effectively into the Fe melt when the waste SiC powders milled for 30 min with 20 wt.% Fe binder are sintered at 1100oC upon compaction using a pressure of 250 MPa. XRF-WDS analysis shows that an yield of about 90% is obtained when the SiC briquette is kept in the Fe melt at 1650oC for more than 1 h.

We have investigated the crystallization mechanism of the lithium disilicate (Li2O-2SiO2, LSO) glass particles with different sizes by isothermal and non-isothermal processes. The LSO glass was fabricated by rapid quenching of melt. X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry measurements were performed. Different crystallization models of Johnson- Mehl-Avrami, modified Ozawa and Arrhenius were adopted to analyze the thermal measurements. The activation energy E and the Avrami exponent n, which describe a crystallization mechanism, were obtained for three different glass particle sizes. Values of E and n for the glass particle with size under 45 μm, 75~106 μm, and 125~150 μm, were 2.28 eV, 2.21 eV, 2.19 eV, and ~1.5 for the isothermal process, respectively. Those values for the non-isothermal process were 2.4 eV, 2.3 eV, 2.2 eV, and ~1.3, for the isothermal process, respectively. The obtained values of the crystallization parameters indicate that the crystallization occurs through the decreasing nucleation rate with a diffusion controlled growth, irrespective to the particle sizes. It is also concluded that the smaller glass particles require the higher heat absorption to be crystallized.

A Li2O-2SiO2 (LS2) glass was investigated as a lithium-ion conducting oxide glass, which is applicable to a fast ionic conductor even at low temperature due to its high mechanical strength and chemical stability. The Li2O-2SiO2 glass is likely to be broken into small pieces when quenched; thus, it is difficult to fabricate a specifically sized sample. The production of properly sized glass samples is necessary for device applications. In this study, we applied spark plasma sintering (SPS) to fabricate LS2 glass samples which have a particular size as well as high transparency. The sintered samples, 15mmφ×2mmT in size, (LS2-s) were produced by SPS between 480˚C and 500˚C at 45MPa for 3~5mim, after which the thermal and dielectric properties of the LS2-s samples were compared with those of quenched glass (LS2-q) samples. Thermal behavior, crystalline structure, and electrical conductivity of both samples were analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and an impedance/gain-phase analyzer, respectively. The results showed that the LS2-s had an amorphous structure, like the LS2-q sample, and that both samples took on the lithium disilicate structure after the heat treatment at 800˚C. We observed similar dielectric peaks in both of the samples between room temperature and 700˚C. The DC activation energies of the LS2-q and LS2-s samples were 0.48±0.05eV and 0.66±0.04eV, while the AC activation energies were 0.48±0.05eV and 0.68±0.04eV, respectively.

Recycling industrial wastes such as fly ash from a coal burning heat power plant and shell from an oyster farming were investigated to prevent environment contamination as well as to enhance the value of recycling materials. In this study, the lightweight aggregates and the red bricks were fabricated from fly ashes with other inorganic materials and wastes. The starting materials of the lightweight aggregate were fly ash powder and water glass, and the compacts of these materials were heat treated at . The fabricated lightweight aggregates had low bulk density, , hence floated on the water and had the strength of 7.0-11.0 MPa and the modulus of 2900-3300 MPa which indicates it has enough strength as the aggregate. Another type of the light weight aggregate was prepared from fly ashes, shell powders and clays. The bulk density, porosity, and compressive strength of these aggregates were and 5-12 MPa, respectively. The addition of a small amount of fly ash powder prevented hydration of the light weight aggregates. The red brick was also fabricated from the fly ash containing materials. It is suitable for the brick facing of a building as it has moderate strength and low water absorption rate.