Improving sorptivity and electrical resistivity of concrete utilising biomedical polymeric waste sourced from dialysis treatment

Abstract

ABSTRACT The worldwide biomedical polymeric waste (BPW) production from dialysis treatment is estimated to be reached about 1.6 million tons/year by 2025, dramatically raising financial, environmental, and ecological concerns. Thanks to new technologies, the waste is disinfected for being discarded as non-hazardous waste, incinerated or landfilled, making the disinfection process redundant and increasing the disposal costs. This study takes advantage of BPW to improve water sorptivity and electrical resistivity of concrete and lightens the way towards environmental-friendly disposal of BPW. Three Hybrid, Soft, and Hard BPW were added to concrete from 0% to 9% by weight of cement in 13 different mixtures. Afterwards, electrical resistivity, long-term capillary water absorption tests were conducted. Predictive models were then developed in three time periods. The addition of Hybrid and Hard BPW improved the capillary absorption and sorptivity by 28%, but, surprisingly, Soft BPW addition showed an adverse effect. Electrical resistivity also improved up to 22.1% after BPW addition. Considering the results, utilising Hybrid BPW in concrete eliminates the waste separating phase and can improve the concrete’s durability, saving time and costs.