Influence of Incorporating Recycled Windshield Glass, PVB-Foil, and Rubber Granulates on the Properties of Geopolymer Composites and Concretes

Waste materials from the automotive industries were re-used as aggregates into metakaolin-based geopolymer (GP), geopolymer mortar (GM), and Bauhaus B20-based concrete composite (C). Specifically, the study evaluates the ability of windshield silica glass (W), PVB-Foils (P), and rubber granulates (G) to impact the mechanical and thermal properties. The addition of the recovered materials into the experimental geopolymers outperformed the commercially available B20. The flexural strength reached values of 7.37 ± 0.51 MPa in concrete with silica glass, 4.06 ± 0.32 in geopolymer malt with PVB-Foils, and 6.99 ± 0.82 MPa in pure geopolymer with rubber granulates; whereas the highest compressive strengths (бc) were obtained by the addition of PVB-Foils in pure geopolymer, geopolymer malt, and concrete (43.16 ± 0.31 MPa, 46.22 ± 2.06 MPa, and 27.24 ± 1.28 MPa, respectively). As well PVB-Foils were able to increase the impact strength (бi) at 5.15 ± 0.28 J/cm2 in pure geopolymer, 5.48 ± 0.41 J/cm2 in geopolymer malt, and 3.19 ± 0.14 J/cm2 in concrete, furnishing a significant improvement over the reference materials. Moreover, a correlation between density and thermal conductivity (λ) was also obtained to provide the suitability of these materials in applications such as insulation or energy storage. These findings serve as a basis for further research on the use of waste materials in the creation of new, environmentally friendly composites.

[1]  D. Rigotti,et al.  Novel uses of recycled rubber in civil applications , 2022, Advanced Industrial and Engineering Polymer Research.

[2]  P. Louda,et al.  Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Geopolymer Foams (GFs) Doped with By-Products of the Secondary Aluminum Industry , 2022, Polymers.

[3]  P. Louda,et al.  Low-Density Geopolymer Composites for the Construction Industry , 2022, Polymers.

[4]  Yurdakul Aygörmez Evaluation of the Red Mud and Quartz Sand on Reinforced Metazeolite-Based Geopolymer Composites , 2021 .

[5]  Mucteba Uysal,et al.  Systematic evaluation of the aggregate types and properties on metakaolin based geopolymer composites , 2021 .

[6]  L. Knapčíková,et al.  Characterization of Customized Encapsulant Polyvinyl Butyral Used in the Solar Industry and Its Impact on the Environment , 2020, Energies.

[7]  Wei Zhou,et al.  The mechanical and microstructural properties of refuse mudstone-GGBS-red mud based geopolymer composites made with sand , 2020 .

[8]  J. Kohout,et al.  Effect of Filler Type on the Thermo-Mechanical Properties of Metakaolinite-Based Geopolymer Composites , 2020, Materials.

[9]  L. C. Hiep,et al.  Mechanical properties of geopolymer foam at high temperature , 2020 .

[10]  Van Su Le THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY OF REINFORCED GEOPOLYMER FOAMS , 2019, Ceramics - Silikaty.

[11]  Oussama Kebaïli,et al.  Valorization of recycled materials in development of self-compacting concrete: Mixing recycled concrete aggregates – Windshield waste glass aggregates , 2019, Construction and Building Materials.

[12]  D. Michalik,et al.  Manufacturing of Light Weight Aggregates from the Local Waste Materials for Application in the Building Concrete , 2017 .

[13]  Prinya Chindaprasirt,et al.  Influence of recycled aggregate on fly ash geopolymer concrete properties , 2016 .

[14]  Guoping Zhang,et al.  Synthesis, Characterization, and Mechanical Properties of Red Mud–Based Geopolymers , 2010 .

[15]  J. Davidovits Global warming impact on the cement and aggregates industries , 1994 .

[16]  J. Davidovits Geopolymers : inorganic polymeric new materials , 1991 .

[17]  J. Davidovits Geopolymers and geopolymeric materials , 1989 .

[18]  Jay G. Sanjayan,et al.  Thermal and mechanical properties of sustainable lightweight strain hardening geopolymer composites , 2017 .

[19]  Julian Alcala,et al.  Life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of blended cement concrete including carbonation and durability , 2013, The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment.

[20]  J. Prins Directive 2003/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council , 2006 .

[21]  E. Kearsley,et al.  The effect of high fly ash content on the compressive strength of foamed concrete , 2001 .