Synthesis of schorl doped iron ore tailings glass-ceramics with superior performance

The diopside-based glass-ceramics were prepared by using iron ore tailings as main raw materials and schorl as additive. The addition of schorl was found to effectively reduce the crystallization activation energy and to promote the crystallization of diopside. The diopside and schorl were evenly distributed and sufficiently interlocked together, which improved the flexural strength and bulk density of glass-ceramics. The far-infrared emissivity of glass-ceramics increased with the addition of schorl due to intrinsic far-infrared characteristics of schorl, while the replacement of Mg and Si ions in diopside by Fe ions also contributed to the enhancing far-infrared emissivity due to lattice distortion and symmetry reduction of diopside crystal. At 10 wt.% schorl addition, the glass-ceramics was at its best, with flexural strength of 107.03 MPa, bulk density of 2.66 g/cm3, and far-infrared emissivity of 0.928. This work lays foundation to manufacture of high value glass-ceramics with superior properties utilizing waste iron ore tailings and schorl.