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Cathode ray tube (CRT) panel glass is processed into glass foams by using carbon and Mn 3 O 4 as foaming agents. We investigate the foaming ability and foaming mechanism of the mixture by varying the composition and the temperature. Carbon load of 5 wt% inhibits the sintering of the glass powder, while 2 wt% carbon promotes the coalescence of pores during foaming. Carbon load of ≤0.4 wt% is suitable for achieving low density foams (0.15–0.23 g cm-3) with closed pores (75–100%). Foaming is initiated by the reaction between carbon and Mn 3 O 4 and this is the main source of melt expansion. Reduction of cations in the glass melt, including Mn3+ dissolved from Mn 3 O 4 , makes an important contribution to the melt foaming at >800 °C. The main gaseous product is CO 2 (67–95 vol%). CO appears above 800 °C and the concentration increases with temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Mixture of glass powder and water glass is atmosphere sensitive. • Reaction with CO 2 results in the formation of carbonates. • Newly formed carbonates are the main source of expansion gas (CO 2). • New mechanism of foaming with water glass proposed. Water glass is a common additive in the process of direct foaming of glass, however, the currently accepted foaming mechanism lacks experimental validation. A foaming mixture of waste cathode ray tube panel glass and water glass was investigated for its expansion and gas evolution behavior via hot stage microscopy and thermogravimetry coupled with mass spectroscopy, respectively. The evolution of a significant amount of CO 2 during the heating of the foaming mixture was detected and an overwhelming presence of CO 2 within the pores of the foamed glass was confirmed with gas chromatography. With this investigation, we reveal an underlying foaming mechanism, where a carbonate phase forms after mixing water glass with the glass powder and later acts as the foaming agent. The unveiled mechanism could help further research in the field of foamed glass, with the potential to produce more sustainable materials with better performance via less energy-demanding processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Development of low-density open- and closed-porous foamed glasses. • Homogeneous pore structure with >90% of open or closed pores. • Open porosity achieved by partial crystallization of the glass. • Low thermal conductivity (37.5–65.6 mW m−1 K−1) measured using heat-flow meter. • Analysis of the difference in the thermal conductivity. Future developments in foamed glass should focus on improving the thermal insulation properties, controlling the foamed structure and the type of porosity. In this study, we report on the synthesis and properties of foamed glasses with open-porous and closed-porous structures prepared from waste cathode-ray-tube (CRT) panel and soda-lime-silica glasses with the addition of carbon black, and manganese or iron oxides. The samples exhibit a homogeneous structure with an average pore size in the range 0.5–1.35 mm and open porosity above 91% or closed porosity above 92%. The open porosity was obtained by partial crystallization of the glass during the foaming process. The thermal conductivity, measured using a heat flow meter at 10 °C, is 57.2–65.6 mW m−1 K−1 at 116–143 kg m−3 for the open-porous samples and 37.5–56.2 mW m−1 K−1 at 107–245 kg m−3 for the closed-porous samples. The conduction in the solid phase contributes the major part to the effective thermal conductivity (52–72%). The conduction in the gaseous and solid phases, respectively, is higher in the open-porous foamed glass due to the different gas composition (air) and the different solid composition (glass composition and crystalline content). The developed foamed glasses also have high mechanical strength, making them suitable for load-bearing applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]