Properties of Mortar Composites from Plastic Waste

Abstract

ABSTRACT An application of plastic waste blended with the sand aggregate in mortar helps to improve some properties of the mortar as well as reducing environmental pollution while solving the problem of a shortage of natural sand. In this study, polystyrene (PS) and high density polyethylene (HDPE) wastes were examined as partial replacements for sand in mortar. The water absorption, bulk dry density, flow value and compressive strength of mortar containing these plastic wastes were analyzed. In addition, the thermal conductivity of wall models plastered with mortar containing plastic waste was investigated. The main results were as follows. The plastic waste and the sand had comparable particle sizes. The properties of mortar with PS were found to be better than that of the mortar with HDPE. The water absorption of mortar with PS was comparable with the reference mortar but lower than that of mortar with HDPE. The compressive strength of the mortar with PS was significantly higher than that with HDPE. The thermal conductivity of a wall plastered by mortar containing PS decreased as the PS content was increased, whereas the thermal conductivity of a wall plastered by mortar containing HDPE increased as the HDPE content was increased. The results indicated that 10.0% PS could be used as a partial replacement for sand in mortar with an improvement in some of the properties of the mortar.