Bioactive Glasses, Steel Slags, Glasses and Ceramics from waste

The impressive Sage Publication catalogue, currently freely available online, encouraged me to scan widely.

In the previous post, I naturally started to focus my scan on their materials science and engineering offer. (again) Not surprisingly, I stopped-off at the J. of Biomaterials Applications, where I learned of the field of Bioactive Glasses whose chemical compositions reminded me to some extent of earlier work previously encountered in Steelmaking R&D and byproduct valorisation (as early as 1970)

There is nothing like doing a little brainstorming to clear the mind. Since I am "no longer "in the box" so to speak, I found it is easy to think "outside the box" for what it's worth! I made a hazardous suggestion that one could possibly seek synergies between the high value potential of bioactive glasses eg. previous post, and glasses and ceramics obtained from steelmaking slag.

Now as a member of The Institute (IMM3) prudence and loyalty, not to mention privileged member access to The Institute catalogue (more than 20 peer reviewed materials dedicated journals, leads me to take a new look at these fields. I did not have to look far.
From the first on The Institute list "Advances in Applied Ceramics I found a Special Issue on Bio-ceramics for Tissue and Bone Engineering and Drug delivery, Jan 2009. It's editorial was entitled "Glasses and ceramics from waste" My suggestion appears still far reached, cf. quote from the guests editors, P.Colombo, Univ of Padova, Italy, A.R. Boccachini and Bill Lee both of IC London,UK London
"Considerable research effort has been expended in the last 30 years concerning the production of glasses and glass-ceramics from a variety of silicate wastes including coal combustion ash, mud from zinc metal hydrometallurgy, slag from steel production, ash and slag from waste incinerators, red mud from alumina production, electric-arc furnace dust, foundry sands as well as glass cullet and various waste mixtures. Vitrification is typically used to transform hazardous residues into inert slags, with significant advantages in terms of reduction in the volume occupied by the residue, as well as in the immobilisation of harmful pollutants within a chemically-durable inorganic matrix. The vitrified material, which can often contain complex crystalline phases, can then either be land-filled
or be used as the raw material for other products."

Choke or take a breath of fresh air!
Not quite the bioactivity sought in medical circles, I can easily imagine.

Then high endeavour, breaking fundamental and applied barriers to progress is what research is all about, I believe?

Feedback welcomed.

NB. Google Sidewiki recovered post via Google profile.

REFERENCE:
Advances in Applied Ceramics free online and downloading to members of IOM3.