Abstract
Polymer concrete (PC) is a composite construction material that boasts several advantages, such as lightness, low water permeability, high resistance to corrosive environments, and chemical degradation. Consequently, it has recently attracted interest as an alternative material to the traditional ones for several civil applications. In this study, unsaturated polyester resin was considered the matrix phase of PC. Aimed to produce green PC, the commonly dispersed phase of natural aggregate was totally replaced by recycled glass aggregate (RGA) deriving from cathode ray tube (CRT) glass waste. Fine and coarse fractions of non-hazardous CRT glass were considered in different ratios. Chemical and physical analyses were carried out through XRF, particle size distribution and microstructural analysis to characterize RGA. The influence of RGA particle size and percentage on PC performance was investigated by microstructural analysis and aggregate packing, chemical resistance, water absorption, and mechanical analyses, such as bending, impact, and scratch test. Using solely the coarse fraction of RGA led to the manufacturing of a green PC with similar performance to the traditional PC and in addition lower in density. The PC quality mainly depended on the matrix crosslinking which, for PC containing fine RGA, was promoted by adding 4 wt% of silane coupling agent.
Highlights
Polymer concrete (PC) is a composite construction material composed of a polymer matrix and natural inorganic aggregate
The feasibility of producing green unsaturated polyester-based polymer concrete (PC) for kitchen countertops was assessed considering the replacement of natural aggregate with recycled glass aggregate (RGA) from cathode ray tube (CRT) glass waste
The use of unsaturated polyester resin was suggested for the first time as an alternative to cement matrix because of its potentially better adhesion with glass aggregate and non-sensitivity to alkali-silica reaction
Summary
Polymer concrete (PC) is a composite construction material composed of a polymer matrix and natural inorganic aggregate. Among these, unsaturated polyester resin is the most commonly used thermosetting matrix due to its chemical resistance, thermal stability, mechanical properties, availability, and low cost [1,2]. The production process of PC involves an exothermic chemical reaction, called crosslinking, acted by the unsaturated groups of the polymer phase [7,8]. This process is called curing and results in creating a thermosetting polymer matrix for PC, which has the primary role of binder and stress distribution between aggregate particles
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