Great waste production alongside limited natural resources represents huge environmental and economic problems worldwide. Sustainable waste management and industrial production can reduce pollution and gain some economic benefits. Eco-friendly thermal insulators such as foam glasses can be produced using secondary raw materials in open-loop recycling. Foam glasses were successfully produced using green bottle glass and sugar beet factory lime (SBFL), CaCO₃-rich waste as a novel foaming agent. Glass powder was mixed with different amounts of SBFL, uniaxially pressed at 20 MPa, and sintered at different temperatures. The influence of sintering temperature and the addition of a foaming agent was examined. Obtained samples were mechanically, thermally, and microstructurally characterized. Results showed that samples sintered at 800 ^°C have the best properties. Obtained foam glasses can be used in a variety of industries where thermal insulation, non-flammability, and non-toxic materials are required.

The selected lithium germanium-phosphate glass was prepared by a conventional melt-quenching technique. The XRD method was employed to confirm the glass was obtained and to reveal crystalline phases during heat treatment. The dilatometry (DIL), differential thermal analysis (DTA), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were used to determine the characteristic temperatures and enthalpies of crystallization and melting of the crystalline phase. The DTA and DIL were used to obtain the viscosity curves by applying the Vogel-Fulcher-Tammann (VFT) equation

Declines in soil quality and low efficiencies of applied fertilizers has limited agricultural productivity worldwide, inducing necessity for sustainable orientated soil amendments. Glass-matrix-based fertilizers are promising "green technologies" thanks to the controlled release of nutrients due to their engineered chemical durability in a wide solubility range. Beside mentioned inorganic soil support, biochar was found to be an effective organic soil amendment that enhances nutrient/water retention as well as microbial activity, making it a promising tool for sustainable agriculture. In this paper, we have tested two possible "green soil amendments": polyphosphate glass (PG) and plum stone biochar (PS) in a 2% citric acid solution, as well as their use as fertilizers on two-year-old rose plantings. The results have shown quick dissolution of PG: nearly 90% for 48 h at 20 °C that steady increase up to 97% at the 480 h; under the same operating parameters, 7.6% of PS was dissolved increasing to 8% at final investigated time. Higher temperatures resulted in higher dissolution rate. The data obtained within the scope of this study indicates that tested fertilizers have a positive effect on rose plant growth, not only promoting bud formation but also extending the flowering period of roses.

Understanding the dissolution kinetics of phosphate glasses is essential for designing materials with tailored durability, optimizing their performance across various applications, and minimizing their environmental impact. The hydrolysis of phosphate glass refers to its degradation in the presence of water, where phosphate bonds break, leading to the gradual dissolution of the glass network. This process is influenced by factors such as composition, pH, temperature, and the presence of ions within the glass matrix. This study investigates the hydrolysis kinetics of polyphosphate glass in deionized water and a 2% citric acid solution, focusing on how solvent properties affect the dissolution process. Experimental results indicate that ion release rates range from 8.74 × 10⁻⁴ to 5.44 × 10⁻² g·m⁻²·h⁻¹ in deionized water, while in a 2% citric acid solution, they vary from 9.44 × 10⁻³ to 6.92 × 10⁻² g·m⁻²·h⁻¹. The activation energies for ion release during hydrolysis are 41.5 to 65.2 kJ·mol⁻¹ in deionized water and 49.1 to 85.3 kJ·mol⁻¹ in the citric acid solution. Additionally, this paper presents the results of EDS analyses of the surfaces of compact polyphosphate glass samples after dissolution in both solvents, providing further insight into the material’s degradation behavior.

Recycling plays a key role in making the economy more efficient in terms of raw material usage. Coal fly ash (CFA), a by-product of coal combustion in thermal power plants, shares a chemical composition similar to some silicate glasses, making it a viable raw material for glass production. The paper presents the results of Na+ and Ca2+ ion incorporation into coal fly ash-based glass and its impact on chemical stability. The chemical resistance of the glasses was tested in distilled water, 0.01 mol/dm3 HCl, and 0.01 mol/dm3 NaOH. The concentrations of the elements in the solution indicate that the ion exchange process is the dominant dissolution mechanism for both glasses. Na-fly ash glass shows slightly lower stability in all solvents than Ca-fly ash glass. FTIR spectra show no change in the structure of the glasses after contact with solvents. The chemical stability of both glasses is satisfactory with a mass change of less than 1 %.