Multi-Scale Study on Mechanical Property and Strength of New Green Sand (Poly Lactic Acid) as Replacement of Fine Aggregate in Concrete Mix

Polylactic acid (PLA) has made inroads in the commercial market segment with many unique characteristics. To list a few, such as tenacity, low flame rate, moisture regain percentage, loss of ignition percentage, combustion heat, UV resistance, elastic recovery, and higher melting point, make PLA a predominant material in the commercial market. This study is an attempt to test the feasibility of PLA’s mechanical property and strength aspects with cement mix. An article published on biodegradability aspects backed up by the essential preliminary strength and physical test results is discussed in detail in this manuscript. The work focuses on the multi-scale study along with mechanical properties and strengths to evaluate the elemental characteristics. Thermo gravimetric analysis revealed that PLA would hold inclusion into construction applications either in granular form or filament. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) found that PLA in filament form is the best inclusion material for construction applications. However, fiber’s tenacity has to be checked, as currently available filaments in the market do not have high tenacity value. From EDX(Energy-dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy) reports, 30% inclusion of PLA as a replacement for fine aggregate has constituent members as Calcium carbonate(CaCO3), Silica(SiO2), and Wollastonite (CaK) resulted in the best composition among the rest. FESEM images revealed that proper gradation in size, PLA granular form’s rough surface, or filament form would enhance the mechanical/physical behavior or even PLA’s chemical behavior.