STEEL SLAG-BASED CELLULAR CERAMIC WITH HIGH-STRENGTH AND EXTREMELY FINE POROSITY AS A BUILDING MATERIAL MADE BY NONCONVENTIONAL HEATING TECHNIQUE

Abstract

Ceramic foam prepared from steel slag particles in colloidal suspension was stabilized with propyl gallate and after drying was sintered by direct electromagnetic wave radiation at successive thermal regimes within the limits of 980-1200 ºC. The microwave heat treatment is the originality of the work. The heating rate reached very high values of up to 40 ºC/min without affecting the microstructural configuration of the foam. The peculiarities of ceramic foam include reduced heat conductivity (in the range of 0.060-0.085 W·m^-1·K^-1), high compression resistance (about 9.8 MPa) and extremely low pore size (between 20-160 μm).