Mechanical properties of soda-lime-silica glasses with variable peanut shell contents

In this study, the mechanical properties of soda-lime-silica glasses were investigated by using micro-Vickers indentation tests, while varying the amount of peanut shell powder added to the glass. Peanut shell powder was obtained by grinding peanut shells. It was added as a dopant to glass at 0.5-5 wt.%, with the final glass samples being produced by melting. Peanut shell addition had led to a decreased density of the soda-lime-silica glasses, and X-ray diffraction data of the peanut shell-doped soda-lime-silica glasses indicated the presence of two crystalline phases, namely, anorthite (Na_{0.45}(Ca_{0.55}Al_{1.55}Si_{2.45}O₈) and magnesium aluminum silicate (MgAl₂Si₃O_{10})₆. The Young's modulus values of the soda-lime-silica glasses increased along with the amount of peanut shell powder added. Peanut shell addition to the soda-lime-silica glasses has also caused increased hardness. Fracture toughness values of these glass samples were in the range of 0.91-1.04 MPa m^{1/2}. Thus, the mechanical properties (e.g. E and K_{C}) of soda-lime-silica glasses could be enhanced through peanut shell addition.