Characterisation and Tribological Testing of Recycled Crushed Glass as an Alternative Rail Sand

TL;DR

This study explores recycled crushed glass as a sustainable alternative to traditional rail sand, analyzing its physical properties and tribological performance to assess its potential for use in railway traction enhancement.

Contribution

The paper provides a comprehensive characterization and tribological testing of recycled crushed glass, demonstrating its viability as an eco-friendly substitute for conventional rail sand.

Findings

Recycled glass particles offer comparable traction to traditional sand.

The material causes similar surface damage levels as standard rail sand.

Promising results suggest potential for sustainable railway traction materials.

Abstract

In the UK Network Rail Environmental Sustainability Strategy 2020-2050, minimal waste and the sustainable use of materials are highlighted as core priorities. The ambition is to reuse, repurpose or redeploy all resources. In low adhesion conditions, sand particles are used to enhance traction throughout the network. However, sand is in danger of becoming scarce as many applications demand it. In this study, an alternative adhesion-enhancing particle system made of recycled crushed glass is examined in terms of density, size, shape distribution, mineralogy, mechanical properties, and bulk behaviour to better understand their characteristics in comparison with the typical Great British rail sand currently in use and reported in the literature. Their effects on tribological behaviour and surface damage are also investigated using the High-Pressure Torsion test in dry, wet, and leaf-contaminated conditions. Both particle characterisation and tribological testing show promising results. Recycled glass particles provide an acceptable level of traction with a similar level of rail damage as typical rail sand. It is suggested to perform full-scale laboratory and field tests to further confirm this material's suitability.