Synergistic preparation and properties of ceramic foams from wolframite tailings and high-borosilicate waste glass

Although wolframite tailings (WT) and high-borosilicate waste glass (HBWG) pose irreversible hazards to the environment, these have not been utilized effectively. In this study, ceramic foams (CFs) were prepared synergistically by a high-temperature foaming method using WT and HBWG as the primary raw materials and SiC as the foaming agent. The result showed that the raw materials composed of 60 wt% WT and 40 wt% HBWG can yield CFs with a compressive strength of 3.75 MPa, a bulk density of 0.792 g/cm 3 , a water absorption of 5.53 %, an apparent porosity of 4.38 %, and an average pore size of 0.832 mm. These can be used as cost-effective build materials. Furthermore, the effects of the sintering temperature, holding time, SiC content, and WT proportion on the structures, crystalline phases, and properties of the CFs were investigated. The results revealed that all the influencing factors had significant effects on the macrostructure, microstructure, and properties of the CFs. Meanwhile, the corresponding crystalline phases were influenced only by the sintering temperature and WT proportion. Further analysis indicated that the WT proportion is one of the key factors affecting the properties of CFs. These properties can be predicted effectively by a deep learning model. Overall, our research has provided an effective approach for high-value utilization of WT and HBWG.