ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Valorization of Industrial By-Products
and Natural Zeolite for Sintered Materials:
Comparative Chemical, Structural,
and Thermal Characterization
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1
Faculty of Occupational Safety, University of Niš, Čarnojevića 10a, Niš, Serbia
2
Faculty of Sciences and Mathematics, University of Niš, Višegradska 33, Niš, Serbia
Submission date: 2025-07-13
Final revision date: 2025-09-10
Acceptance date: 2025-10-12
Online publication date: 2025-12-03
Corresponding author
Ana Stojković
Faculty of Occupational Safety, University of Niš, Čarnojevića 10a, Niš, Serbia
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ABSTRACT
Valorization of industrial by-products through thermal processes represents an efficient
and sustainable solution for waste reduction and the development of new functional materials.
This study investigates the potential application of cathode ray tube (CRT) glass, iron slag, fly ash from
thermal power plants, and natural zeolite in sintering processes. Characterization was performed using
XRF, FTIR, SEM, and TGA methods to examine the chemical, morphological, and thermal properties
of the materials. The obtained results indicate complementary chemical and structural characteristics,
with SiO2 and CaO as the dominant components in the analyzed materials. TGA analysis of the mixture,
conducted under a controlled temperature regime, simulated the sintering process and demonstrated
the thermal compatibility of the materials. In addition to spectroscopy/microscopy, composition-based
proxies (basicity, silica modulus, network former/modifier ratio, and rule-of-mixtures density), together
with a stable sintering region quantified by TGA (~750-990ºC), were used to appraise sinterability
and application-oriented feasibility. The results show that this multicomponent composition enables
the optimization of sintered products while preserving structural stability and ensuring negligible mass
loss during thermal treatment. The materials analyzed, both individually and in synergy, represent
sustainable components for the development of new sintered systems, thereby contributing to advanced
recycling technologies and the principles of the circular economy.