Preparation of Luminescent Glass Aggregates from Soda-Lime Waste Glass

Abstract

This research studied the preparation of luminescent glass aggregates prepared from soda-lime waste glass and strontium aluminate-based phosphors. The properties of the samples were determined by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Archimedes’ method, and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. It was found that the pore characteristics, density, and formation of crystallite phases in the glassy matrix depended on the phosphor content. The addition of fine phosphor powder tended to inhibit the glass crystallization and to reduce the apparent porosity of the aggregates. In general, the disadvantage of phosphors is their luminescent degradation under thermal attacks, which limits their use in applications involving high-temperature annealing. The phosphors, however, still had good luminescent properties and long-term stability with the sintering temperature as high as 750°C. The results indicated that the phosphors could be composited with glasses at high processing temperatures, enabling their widespread application.