This project brings together partners from glass (Glass Futures, Encirc, Calumite, Glass Technology Services, Diageo), steel (British Steel, the Materials Processing Institute, Tata Steel) and cement (LKAB Minerals, Hanson) sectors to develop a novel process to combine waste-materials into blast furnace slag to 'up-grade' low-quality materials into an enhanced Ground-Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBS), increasing the volume of GGBS available for the cement and glass sectors, whilst creating a new value-added product enabling increased percentages to be used in glass-manufacturing. GGBS, sold into the glass sector as 'Calumite', is widely used in container-glass manufacture, displacing silica-sand and limestone, reducing process CO2 emissions, increasing melting rate and reducing furnace energy. Calumite also provides sulphides which refine the molten glass, increasing product quality. In the cement industry, GGBS partially substitutes Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC). OPC is made in a high-temperature, energy-intensive process from limestone and other raw materials, thus GGBS offers a significant reduction in energy and CO2 emissions. The project will utilise pilot scale equipment at Glass Futures and the Materials Processing Institute to develop and optimise this new technology, before undertaking a series of industrial-scale trials at British Steel and various glass manufacturing plants, including Encirc. Large-scale feasibility studies will also be undertaken by LKAB to assess the suitability of these new materials for use in cement applications. The project will engage the paper and ceramics sectors to identify waste-streams that could be utilised in the e-GGBS process and explore ceramics applications which might benefit from e-GGBS.

Glass is a reusable and recyclable material for windows and a reusable and recyclable alternative to plastic for containers. Sustainable glass is manufactured by melting sand in exceptionally large (the size of a low-rise block of flats), high temperature furnaces. However, the manufacturing process is very inefficient and up to 50% of the energy supplied for melting is lost as waste in the process. India produces ~10MT glass/year and is growing at between 6-10% CAGR. The Indian government has made ambitious targets around climate change, including reducing the emissions intensity of GDP by 33%--35% by 2030 below 2005 levels. This project with a duration of 5 months aims to develop close ties and relationships with counterparts in India in the area of glass manufacturing and research, and produce collaborative proposals between research centres in the UK and in India.

Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.

Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.

The overarching goal of this project is to establish the technological potential, through a proof - of - concept study, of an entirely new family of glassy materials which could safely and stably incorporate high levels of CO2 by locking it away within the structure of the material in a stable form that is resistant to air, heat and light. In doing so it is believed this will present multiple new properties and in so doing this will enable transformative industrial changes in the way we manufacture, use, recycle and think about glass. There are three main pathways to academic and commercial impact: (1) UK glass industry and community (the primary route); (2) Multiple UK manufacturing sectors, specifically electronic devices and photonics; and (3) UK nuclear industry, specifically waste immobilisation and site license companies. Carboglass could provide multiple new innovation platforms for advanced materials and manufacturing technologies; carbon capture and storage; nuclear decommissioning; and energy and CO2 emissions reduction, thereby impacting upon policy, health and quality of life; delivering the capability to disrupt existing business models and contributing towards a more resilient, productive and prosperous nation. This research could lead to new technologies that provide the UK glass industry with CO2 emissions savings of up to 50% (1.25MT/yr) and increase resource efficiency by up to 20% (1 MT/yr, saving £100M/yr). It could also provide a new path for treatment of carbon-rich radioactive wastes, and could become a leading carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology. This disruptive development could lead to new high-skilled UK jobs and offer a technology platform for uptake by other industries. The proposed research will take the form of 3 work packages (WP's) that will lead to proof-of-concept, as follows: WP1. CO2 incorporation (Months 1-20). Determine key chemical, structural and processing factors governing CO2 incorporation in materials. Materials incorporating CO2 will be produced. Outcomes: relations mapped in model systems, boundaries defined. WP2. Composition / structure / property relations (Months 3-24). Map relations in model materials with focus on CO2 incorporation and physical / chemical properties. Outcomes: fundamental understanding of effects of CO2 incorporation on material properties and structure achieved. WP3. Carboglass technology development (Months 12-24). Build / disseminate understanding of research needs to enable development of Carboglass technology towards high volume manufacturing. Outcomes: clear understanding of research needs for development of Carboglass technology, with initial upscaling designs disseminated widely to academic and industrial partners. Public benefits of this research will include improved environment and quality of life (lower CO2 emissions and energy use; safer nuclear waste, new functional materials leading to new products and processes); disruption of business models (UK jobs and wealth creation); and raised public interest in science and technology. Carboglass represents an opportunity for the UK to lead the world in new, clean and green technologies and simultaneously provides multiple new pathways for a resilient, productive and healthy UK.