Foam-Glass-Crystal Materials

This chapter presents a comprehensive study of the structure, physical and mechanical properties of FGCM obtained from natural siliceous materials. The scientific principles of controlled formation of FGCM macrostructure and technological aspects of its production have been formulated in this chapter. At this, the strength of foamed materials exceeds the strength of the foamglass 3–4 times as much due to the effect of nanoscale crystals in a vitrified matrix. It has been shown that the physical and mechanical properties of foamglassceramic material depend on the number and the size of a crystalline phase. The increase of mechanical strength as compared to the foamglass can be provided by the particle sizes of a crystalline phase of less than 1 μm. Maximum strength depending on the volume rating of the residual crystalline phase accounts for 25 % for less than 1 μm size, and 5–7 % at a size decrease down to 300 nm. With the increase of the crystalline phase size up to 10 μm and higher, the compressive strength of material decreases.