Thermodynamic simulations for optimizing the firing of traditional ceramic formulations using waste glass as a flux

The complex chemical reactions that occur between raw materials during the firing of traditional ceramics are still not fully understood, and no tool can accurately simulate what happens in this process. Thermodynamic data calculations, based on the minimization of the free energy of the system, have been used to deduce the nature of the phases (solid/liquid), the chemical composition and its viscosity, and to better understand the phenomena and reactions that occur in equilibrium conditions at elevated temperatures. In this work, quantifications of phases predicted through chemical thermodynamic simulations and experimental quantifications of the phases of ceramic formulations with the use of alternative flux (waste glass) sintered at 1200(degrees) C are presented, in addition to the viscosity of a formulation with the integral replacement of the fluxing raw material from soda -lime glass waste. The data presented show that the use of the FactSage software can help in the study of raw material transformations and in determining the firing temperatures of ceramic materials, contributing to studies in which fluxing raw materials are replaced, partially or fully, by other sources. The thermodynamic study, despite some limitations, contributes to the optimization of a formulation for recycling industrial waste into ceramic materials.