Siberian scientists have developed concrete made from glass waste. It's proven stronger and cheaper than its counterparts.

The development by scientists from the Krasnoyarsk Scientific Center of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Siberian Federal University consists of 90% ordinary glass waste, which is considered the most difficult to recycle and is harmful to the environment.

“The placement of [non-degradable and difficult-to-degrade] waste in landfills is not rational from an economic point of view, since it removes the material from economic circulation,” cited the press service of the Kola Science Center of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, its research fellow, candidate of technical sciences Sergei Dobrosmyslov. - Using waste in the production of materials will reduce both the environmental impact and the cost of finished products. Using waste is 2-3 times cheaper than using natural raw materials."

Glass typically reduces the strength of concrete as a filler, as it reacts chemically with cement. Therefore, Siberian scientists have developed a new approach to creating glass concrete: they crushed broken glass into particles of approximately 50–60 micrometers for the filler and one micrometer for the binder.

Scientists conducted a series of experiments. It was found that increasing the concentration of finely ground glass and calcium oxide increased the strength of the glass-concrete mixture by 2,5 times.

Sergey Dobrosmyslov clarifies that the Siberians' development opens up opportunities for creating more durable and sustainable structures in the future.

Photo: KSC SB RAS