Abstract
The paper describes the studies on the sand-lime (silicate) masonry units modified with recycled plastics in various forms: regranulate, regrind and powder. The following materials were examined: high impact polystyrene (HIPS) and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). The results of the functional properties tests, such as compressive strength, softening behavior, bulk density and water absorption are presented in the article. The microstructure of the products was analyzed using SEM and XRD methods.Obtained results show that the properties of modified product largely depend on the type, form and amount of used polymer. The highest compressive strength was achieved with 15% of HIPS regranulate in the product (by weight). ABS does not improve the strength of the sample, however, it does block the capillary action in the sand-lime product. The lowest softening coefficient was obtained in the sample modified with HIPS regranulate. The examined polymers contributed to decrease in bulk density of the samples as well as lowered their water absorption. The samples with pulverized polymer have the worst properties. All the results are compared with those of the traditional sand-lime bricks and sand-lime product modified with other additives. The analysis indicate that silicate masonry units with post-production and post-consumption plastic waste can possess interesting functional properties what brings a new potential possibility to dispose of still growing number of plastic waste.
Highlights
Sand-lime products are environmentally friendly construction materials
In the case of high impact polystyrene (HIPS) regranulate the value was the highest and equal to 32.04 MPa, which is higher by almost 55% than the strength of the reference sample The other polymers has decrease the compressive strength of the silicate
Introducing to the sand-lime mass properly selected recycled plastics can improve the compressive strength of the resulting products or significantly reduce water absorption
Summary
Sand-lime products (silicates) are environmentally friendly construction materials. Traditional silicates contain in their composition only sand, lime and water and their characteristic properties are obtained thanks to hydrothermal treatment during autoclaving process.In recent years, much attention has been devoted to research on modified sand-lime products containing among other waste materials, such as waste molding sands, post reclamation dusts, hematite tailings, fly ashes, bottom ashes, copper tailings, foam glass as well as recycled plastics [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8].The overall purpose of the study was to improve certain characteristics of silicates and at the same time dispose of plastic waste.It is known from the literature [8] that regranulate of high impact polystyrene has very beneficial effect on compressive strength of silicates.Mechanical recycling of plastics involves cleaning, sorting, cutting, shredding, agglomeration, pelletizing and reprocessing by injection molding, blowing or extrusion according to the required products [10]. Sand-lime products (silicates) are environmentally friendly construction materials. Traditional silicates contain in their composition only sand, lime and water and their characteristic properties are obtained thanks to hydrothermal treatment during autoclaving process. The overall purpose of the study was to improve certain characteristics of silicates and at the same time dispose of plastic waste. It is known from the literature [8] that regranulate of high impact polystyrene has very beneficial effect on compressive strength of silicates. Problems with the quality and repeatability of the properties of recyclates can be solved if the process of their recovery will be treated as a process of production of new materials, shaped in terms of their most efficient uses [11]
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