Effects of sintering temperature on the characteristics of solar panel waste glass in the production of ceramic tiles

This study employs the following operating conditions: constant pressure (5 MPa), sintering temperature (800–1100 °C), sintering time (2 h), percentage of solar panel waste glass by weight (0–40 %), and the rate of heating was 5 °C/min, to fabricate clay tiles. The sintered samples were characterized to determine their porosity, water absorption, and mechanical strength. Fired samples were microstructurally analyzed by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Increasing the temperature resulted in a rise in the resistance to abrasion in the tiles. Solar panel waste glass promotes a more effective melting of quartz, leading to a more abundant and less viscous liquid phase, which accelerates the sintering kinetics. In conclusion, solar panel waste glass can be used at 30–40 % with tolerable modifications of the technological behavior and performance of ceramic tiles. Solar panel waste glass has a high content of total fluxing oxides that favor the maturation of the ceramic tile at lower sintering temperatures. Therefore, this waste glass is a good substitute for feldspar in stoneware tile products, as it satisfies the most demanding requirements of the CNS 3299 standard.