Use of Bypass Cement Dust from Al-Kufa Cement Factory for Production of Glass Ceramic Material

Bypass cement dust was supplied from Alkufa cement factory, which has been used in preparing glass ceramic material. The percentage of bypass cement dust which is included in the overall batch is about 30 wt%. The bypass cement dust composition has been modified by adding other materials like marble, granite, and silica, to prepare glass ceramic material by powder technology. The prepared samples with different ratios ingredients were pressed under a load of 15 tons/cm2 for 90 sec, in a steel mold of 30 mm in diameter, liquid phase sintering is carried out by using High-Temperature Furnace at 100 – 1250 º C and 208/ 240 VAC. Techniques including SEM (Scanning electron microscopy) and XRD (X-ray diffraction) tests were then used to evaluate the produced material. The obtained glass ceramic material have high bulk and apparent density, low apparent porosity , high compression strength and hardness , low electrical and thermal conductivity. The XRD and SEM results showed that glass ceramic materials are formed. The phase transformation has happened and the titanite, wollastonite, diopside, periclase, and silica condense clusters phase are formed, which are the important phases of glass ceramic. Tests show that the sample A5 contains 38% bypass cement dust, 30%granite, and 32% silica , the sample C5 contains 28% bypass, granite 30%, marble 10%, and silica 32% and the sample B4 contains 59% bypass , 25% marble, and 16% silica . Showing properties A5 and C5 which conform to that of glass ceramic properties better than B4. The research is considered a pioneer work in the field of investment of dust of bypass cement for producing glass ceramic materials. It represents an important step and could be the basis for future researches leading to the achievement of glass ceramic production in Iraq.