Taguchi-based investigation of molding methods and sintering parameters on foam glass performance

The production of sustainable foam glass from waste materials offers a promising route for environmental conservation and energy efficiency, but traditional optimization of processing parameters often involves extensive and costly experimentation. This study applies the Taguchi design of experiments (DOE) to efficiently optimize foam glass production using waste glass, significantly reducing experimental workload while maintaining high precision. Results show that foaming temperature is the most influential factor, accounting for 86 % of variations in foam properties, whereas holding time has a minimal effect (5.5 %). Within the examined range, holding time has a secondary effect on macroscopic foam properties, whereas temperature is the dominant driver; XRD nonetheless reveals the onset of crystallization near 837 °C, which does not significantly impact foaming behavior in the main expansion range. Under optimized conditions, foam glass achieved a density of 206 kg/m³ , compressive strength of 4.1 MPa, and thermal conductivity of 0.048 W/m·K. A novel wet-powder molding technique was introduced to eliminate the need for high-pressure pressing, enhancing crystallinity and mechanical integrity. Moreover, by utilizing the maximum area temperature instead of the traditional maximum height temperature in heating microscopy, more accurate predictions of foam expansion were achieved. This approach demonstrates the effectiveness of the Taguchi method in developing lightweight, thermally insulated, and eco-friendly construction materials while minimizing resource use.