Cristobalite SiO2 can be obtained from fused silica ceramic wastes formed at factories that make polycrystalline silicon, where fused silica is converted to cristobalite during the production of polycrystalline ingots. High-purity cristobalite powder is obtained by grinding these wastes. A study was made of the coefficient of linear thermal expansion of molds which are composed of cristobalite with a gypsum binder and are used to make jewelry. It was established that the thermal expansion which takes place during the transition to the cristobalite phase can effectively compensate for the shrinkage which the gypsum undergoes in the temperature range from 200 to 400°C. Experiments involving the casting of a copper alloy showed that the use of cristobalite can improve the thermal performance of molds employed in the production of jewelry.
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This research has been conducted with the support of the Key Laboratory of Solid Waste Treatment and Resource Recycling (at the Southwest University of Science and Technology) and the Ministry of Education of China. It is a project of the Education Department of Guangzhou Province (10B002) and the National Science Foundation of China (No. 51102100).
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Translated from Novye Ogneupory, No. 12, pp. 30 – 32, December, 2013.
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Zhou, Y., Shen, K. & Zeng, Q. Thermal Characteristics of Fused Silica Ceramic Waste and its Application in Casting Jewelry. Refract Ind Ceram 54, 490–493 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11148-014-9639-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11148-014-9639-6