Characterization and optimization of eco-friendly gypsum materials using response surface methodology

Abstract

The use of paper waste rich in cellulose fibers to produce building materials is an environmentally friendly alternative that conserves natural resources and protects the environment. This work aims to recycle this waste by developing a new ecological lightweight building material based on gypsum. For this purpose, the Design of Experiments (DoE) concept and Response Surface Methodology (RSM) were introduced to develop, optimize, and compare the effect of paper waste and surfactant on gypsum. The results show that after the addition of paper waste and surfactant, the density and brittleness of the formulated materials decrease. Nonetheless, the proposed formulation has allowed to maintain acceptable mechanical properties (2.45 MPa for flexural strength and 5.07 MPa for compressive strength) to be used in the construction and particularly as indoor insulation materials. Likewise, the optimal results obtained from the desirability function have shown an overall gap of 6% between the experimental values and the predicted values. This result confirms the acceptable accuracy of the proposed models for the formulation of this new construction material based on gypsum paper waste and surfactant.