Recycled Waste PET for Sustainable Cementitious Materials

Abstract

The future of the Planet is strongly influenced by human activity, which day after day contributes to increasing the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. One of the most polluting factors includes the production and disposal of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET). The goal of this study is to open the way for a new sustainable solution to reduce the production of virgin plastic and its subsequent release into natural ecosystems. The introduction of PET within cementitious mixtures could be a benefit to the Planet but also to civil structures. In fact, part of the natural aggregates would be reduced leaving space for PET plastic aggregates or fibers. This study describes how the use of polymers, added to cementitious mixtures as reinforcement, in the form of discrete elements (aggregates or fibers) or continuous (strips), can influence the physical and mechanical properties. More in detail, the effect of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) on cement mix is especially considered. Different laboratory tests carried out on specimens of mortar, screed and concrete reinforced with PET fibers derived from recycled water bottles are also described. Tests were conducted utilizing different shapes of PET aggregates and fibers and cement-fibers adhesion was observed to evaluate the possibility of more thorough investigation in the future.