We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Remediation of Iron Ore Tailings From Brumadinho (Brazil), Polymeric Waste From Polyester Fabrics and From PET Bottle Powder Based on the Production of Ecological Bricks
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers developed and tested ecological bricks produced from three co-remediated waste streams — iron ore tailings from the Brumadinho dam collapse, polyester fabric scraps from the textile industry, and PET bottle powder — demonstrating a circular economy approach to simultaneously address mining, textile, and plastic waste contamination.
ABSTRACT Mining activities generate large amounts of waste in the form of mud that is disposed of in containment dams. When such dams collapse, serious accidents can happen, like the one that occurred in Brumadinho, Minas Gerais, Brazil, killing 272 people and contaminating rivers and large areas of native forests. On the other hand, there are also two types of plastic waste which after production and use are disposed of in the environment or landfills, causing contamination and leading to the release of microplastics: (1) scraps from the textile industry and (2) polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic packaging. This work presents a proposal for the remediation of three waste materials (iron ore tailings, polyester fabric waste, and PET plastic waste). In this sense, two kinds of bricks were produced, one of them combining iron ore tailings and polyester fabric wastes, and the other, combining iron ore tailings and PET plastic wastes. Both the bricks were evaluated for the construction of social housing. The results show that these bricks are similar to soil‐cement bricks, with which windbreak walls and walls of residential buildings can be built, supporting all the loads concerning a popular Brazilian housing project. It can be said that a new composite material has been developed, with appropriate technical properties such as compressive strength and water absorption, to reduce these three environmental liabilities and the consumption of virgin raw materials, normally removed from the environment, in addition to reducing the release of those pollutants into the environment.
More Papers Like This
Eco-Bricks from Plastic Waste: Toward Ensuring a Sustainable Circular Green Economy
AI summary Read the abstract
This study proposes ecobricks — plastic bottles densely packed with used plastic waste — as a low-cost circular economy approach for plastic waste management that reduces microplastic generation by preventing plastic from degrading in the open environment.
Sustainable geopolymers from polyethylene terephthalate waste and industrial by-products: a comprehensive characterisation and performance predictions
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers developed geopolymer bricks using recycled PET plastic waste combined with industrial by-products like rice husk ash and blast furnace slag. They found that certain formulations produced bricks with strength and durability comparable to conventional building materials. The study demonstrates a practical approach for diverting plastic waste from landfills while creating sustainable construction materials.
Circular economy model for reuse of plastic in eco-efficient production of building materials
AI summary Read the abstract
This study explored using plastic waste in the production of construction blocks and bricks as part of a circular economy approach, reducing the amount of plastic that enters the environment as microplastics. The construction sector offers a significant opportunity to valorize plastic waste as a durable material rather than allowing it to degrade in landfills.
Environmental Protection Through the Management of SBR and PET Waste in the Innovative Concrete Building Block APS
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers developed an innovative hollow concrete block (APS) incorporating recycled SBR rubber granules and PET plastic flakes, demonstrating that the design provides effective waste management for these materials while maintaining structural suitability for foundation and retaining wall construction.
A Practical Valorization Approach for Mitigating Textile Fibrous Microplastics in the Environment: Collection of Textile-Processing Waste Microfibers and Direct Reuse in Green Thermal-Insulating and Mechanical-Performing Composite Construction Materials
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers proposed and demonstrated the direct collection and reuse of textile finishing waste microfibers as reinforcement in thermally insulating composite construction materials, diverting a significant fraction of Italy's estimated 5000 tonnes per year of textile processing waste fibers from environmental release. The composite materials met performance benchmarks for construction applications, offering both environmental and economic benefits.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.