Abstract
The recycling of waste glass is a major problem for municipalities worldwide. The problem concerns especially colored waste glass which, due to its low recycling rate as result of high level of impurity, has mostly been dumped into landfills. In recent years, a new use was found for it: instead of creating waste, it can be recycled as an additive in building materials. The aim of the study was to evaluate the possibility of manufacturing sustainable and self-cleaning cement mortars with use of commercially available nanomaterials and brown soda-lime waste glass. Mechanical and bactericidal properties of cement mortars containing brown soda-lime waste glass and commercially available nanomaterials (amorphous nanosilica and cement containing nanocrystalline titanium dioxide) were analyzed in terms of waste glass content and the effectiveness of nanomaterials. Quartz sand is replaced with brown waste glass at ratios of 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% by weight. Study has shown that waste glass can act as a successful replacement for sand (up to 100%) to produce cement mortars while nanosilica is incorporated. Additionally, a positive effect of waste glass aggregate for bactericidal properties of cement mortars was observed.
Highlights
Concerns related with disposal of generated wastes have increased tremendously in the last two decades
Testtest areare presented is clearly clearlyshown shownthat that the presence of waste glass highly increase total porosity of cement mortars which can be translated to higher water absorption
Be noted that samples containing waste glass contained high amount high amount of large capillary. It was caused by poorer cohesion between the glass aggregates of large capillary pores. It was caused by poorer cohesion between the glass aggregates and cement and cement paste, which was an effect of smooth impermeable surfaces of WG aggregate
Summary
Concerns related with disposal of generated wastes have increased tremendously in the last two decades. Material that especially aroused the interest of many researchers, due to low recycle rate and high disposal costs, is waste glass (WG). The construction industry (especially the cement and concrete industry) found a useful solution for the environmental impact of waste glass. The physical properties of glass and its chemical composition, similar to that of sand and cement, make this material very appealing. It is able to provide an environmentally friendly solution for the glass and cement industries. Glass could be recycled completely and infinitely without losing any of its chemical and physical properties [1]. Broken, mixed colored and diverse origin of waste glass, make the recycling process impractical and highly expensive. Impurities and contaminants of recycled glass can highly affect the properties of the Materials 2016, 9, 701; doi:10.3390/ma9080701 www.mdpi.com/journal/materials
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