Development of a method for recycling of CRT funnel glass

Finding better solutions to manage and recycle cathode-ray tube (CRT) glass is crucial for reducing the environmental threats due to the disposal of the glass. In this paper, the results of a laboratory study on developing a method for removing lead from crushed funnel glass surface and re-utilizing the treated glass in cement mortar are presented. The results demonstrate that nitric acid at 3-5% concentration levels can be used to remove most of the lead from the crushed funnel glass surface and render it as non-hazardous waste based on toxicity characteristics leaching procedure (TCLP) testing. It is noted that the particle size of glass and number of treatment cycles are significant factors affecting lead extraction. The study further demonstrated that it is feasible to utilize up to 100% of treated funnel glass as a replacement for natural sand for producing cement mortar.