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Development and Preliminary Characterization of a Composite Material Produced from Recycled Plastic and Sand for Sustainable Construction Applications
Summary
Researchers melted recycled plastic and blended it with graded sand at 15%, 20%, and 25% mass ratios to produce composite construction specimens, finding that the 25% plastic formulation achieved the densest, most cohesive structure with the smoothest surface—while density decreased with increasing plastic content—positioning recycled plastic as a potential alternative binder to cement.
The sustainable management of plastic waste is a critical environmental issue, particularly in developing countries where collection and recycling rates remain low. In this context, this study focuses on the development of an innovative composite material, made from recycled plastic and sand, to provide an alternative for the recovery of plastic waste in the construction materials sector. The composite material was manufactured by melting the recycled plastic at a temperature of approximately 255 °C, then gradually incorporating sand that had been previously sieved and analyzed for particle size distribution in accordance with standard NF EN 933-1. Three distinct formulations were produced by varying the proportions of recycled plastic relative to the sand. We used proportions of 15%, 20%, and 25% by mass of recycled plastic relative to the sand. The results of the particle size analyses revealed that the sand used falls within the 0/5 particle size class, with a uniform particle size distribution, conducive to obtaining a homogeneous material. Examination of the produced test specimens indicates a gradual improvement in compactness, surface appearance, and overall material quality as the percentage of recycled plastic increases. The composite containing 25% plastic exhibits a particularly dense structure, a smooth surface, and a significant reduction in intergranular voids, demonstrating improved cohesion between the matrix and the aggregates. The density decreases as the percentage of plastic relative to sand increases. Thus, we obtain densities of 1903.72 kg/m³ for the material containing 15% plastic, 1795.53 kg/m³ for the material containing 20% plastic, and 1693.58 kg/m³ for the material containing 25% plastic. The results obtained in this study highlight the potential of recycled plastic as an alternative binder to cement for producing innovative construction materials while helping to reduce the environmental footprint of plastic waste.