Chemically bonded ceramics (CBCs) combine high mechanical strength with corrosion resistance and temperature stability. These materials have utility in hazardous waste containment radiation shielding bone tissue engineering and integration into advanced composites among other applications. Alternative materials suffer from prohibitively expensive manufacturing processes and low compressive strength. There is thus a need for a new cost-effective method of producing CBCs. Ideally the method would afford modulation of parameters such as porosity color and setting time depending on the application desired.
1) Raw material comes from fly ash an abundant waste product2) Reduces environmental impact of industrial manufacturing3) Fabrication done at room temperature4) Several parameters can be adjusted5) Setting time - permits use as paint6) pH - permits reinforcement with inexpensive E-glass fibers7) Density - can be made extremely low when weight is a concern8) Color and opacity9) Compressive strength of 40 MPa is expected