SEDL / STP / STP789-EB / STP29482S

Glass-Mica Composite: A New Structural Thermal-Insulating Material for Building Applications

Low, NMP
Research Assistant Professor, Center for Building Studies, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec

Pages: 15    Published: Jan 1983

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Abstract

Homogeneous, rigid glass-mica composites have been synthesized from mixtures of Canadian natural mica flakes of the phlogopite type and ground glass powders prepared from recycled soda-lime waste glasses by a simple sintering process. By means of selection of compositions and processing techniques, composites can be fabricated into products that exhibit a cellular structure, a highly densified structure, and multilayer and sandwich structures. The cellular structure composite has a thermal conductivity in the range of 0.165 to 0.230 W/m·°C when measured over the temperature range 25 to 180°C, and a compressive strength of about 0.874 MPa; the highly densified composite, on the other hand, has a thermal conductivity in the range of 0.155 to 0.330 W/m·°C, a compressive strength in excess of 40 MPa, and an instantancous coefficient of thermal expansion of 5.8 × 10⁻⁶/°C at 100°C. These glass-mica composites exhibit qualities such as insulating efficiency, safety, mechanical strength, and durability that are suitable for engineering applications in building structures or other systems.