Biography
Prof. Dr. Alicia Durán is degree in Physics by UNC (Argentina) and PhD in Physical Sciences from UAM (Spain), developing her professional career at the Institute of Ceramics and Glass (CSIC).
She is Research Professor of CSIC and responsible of the research group GlaSS, a group of excellence, in the higher 10% among the 1600 research groups of CSIC (http://glass.icv.csic.es). The Glass group is the Spanish reference in Glass science and technology, with close relation with national and international glass field centres and industries, in particular with Spanish glass companies and their associations, ANFEVI and VIDRIO ESPAÑA.
Alicia has more than 295 publications in WOK. She was Treasurer of ICG from 2002 to 2016 and President of the International Commission on Glass (ICG) on 2018-2021. From this position she nominated 2022 as International Year of Glass 2022 at United Nations, being the chair of the IYOG. Among the prizes she received the Gottardi Prize in 1988. In the last years she received the Phoenix Award, being named Glass Person of the Year 2019 and bestowed with the Otto-Schott Award in 2022 as well as the ICG President’s Award in 2022.
Presentation
The transition toward a circular economy in the glass industry requires a precise understanding of waste glass streams and their suitability for high-quality recycling. This study, conducted within the framework of the EVERGLASS project, investigates the collection and characterization of a broad range of post-consumer and industrial glass waste sources, including container glass, flat glass, LCD panels, glass from electrical and electronic equipment, and pharmaceutical glass, among others. Particular emphasis is placed on chemical composition and key material properties—such as thermal parameters and viscosity—that critically influence re-melting behavior and product performance.
Samples were analyzed using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy (ICP) to determine oxide composition and contaminant levels. Thermal characterization included dilatometry and differential thermal analysis (DTA) to obtain the glass transition temperature, dilatometric softening point, and coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), while hot-stage microscopy (HSM) was employed to derive viscosity–temperature curves. Results showed that Al₂O₃ increases viscosity at lower temperatures, whereas Na₂O exerts influence across a wider temperature range. Soda-lime and float glasses exhibited similar thermal behavior, supporting their combined use in sustainable Glass Laser Morphing (GLM) processes. In contrast, borosilicate glasses (e.g., labware, pharmaceutical) showed greater variability in both viscosity profiles and CTE, nevertheless GLM is particularly useful to process this glass system due to no limitations in temperature for the laser and additionally, the lower thermal expansion coefficient of the borosilicate glasses contribute to avoid cracking due to the faster cooling of the process. In any case, the control of viscosity along the process is critical since no molds are used.
All data have been compiled into the EVERGLASS database and will serve as input for numerical modeling of the laser melting and shaping process. Prepared glass powders have been delivered for laser processing trials, and comparative studies using mixed glass compositions melted in conventional furnaces are currently underway.