We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Utilization of electronic plastic waste as fine aggregate with and without silica fume in concrete: experimentation and life cycle assessment
AI summary Read the abstract
Electronic plastic waste used as 5–20% fine aggregate replacement in concrete reduced mechanical performance, but adding 10% silica fume recovered strength, with the best mix achieving 37.69 MPa compressive strength while a 20% E-waste replacement reduced global warming potential by 1.43% and overall environmental burden by 5.3%. This study demonstrates a viable pathway for diverting e-waste plastics from landfills and open burning into construction materials, directly reducing environmental plastic contamination.
The depletion of natural resources has created an urgent need to identify alternative, sustainable materials for construction. Simultaneously, the rapid global accumulation and improper disposal of electronic waste (E-waste), particularly in developing countries, have raised significant environmental and public health concerns. This study investigates the use of electronic plastic waste (E-PW) as a partial replacement for fine aggregate in concrete, with replacement levels of 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% evaluated at different curing ages. While the inclusion of E-PW led to reductions in mechanical and durability performance compared to conventional concrete, these effects were mitigated by replacing 10% of the cement with silica fume (SF). The enhancement provided by SF demonstrated improved strength and performance in the E-PW concrete mixtures. According to SEM results, SF highlights the interfacial transition zone (ITZ) associated with E-PW in the OPC matrix. The best performing mix for blends containing E-PW and SF were M7 (5% E-PW + 10% SF), achieved a compressive strength of 37.69 MPa, a flexural strength of 5.36 MPa, and a splitting tensile strength of 3.91 MPa at 56 days, surpassing those of the reference concrete. An environmental perspective, life cycle assessment demonstrated that a 20% replacement of fine aggregates with E-PW reduced the overall environmental burden by 5.3% and lowered the global warming potential by 1.43%, equivalent to saving approximately 4-5 kg CO₂-eq per cubic meter of concrete. Hence, the findings support the potential for producing eco-efficient concrete by partially replacing natural sand with E-waste, contributing to resource conservation and environmental sustainability.
More Papers Like This
Mechanical and Environmental Performance of Concrete Incorporating Post-Consumer Plastics and E-Waste
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers incorporated ground polypropylene plastic waste and pulverized printed circuit board powder as partial replacements for sand and cement in concrete, finding roughly 11% reductions in compressive strength and beam load capacity, with life cycle assessment showing cement replacement yielded far greater environmental benefit than aggregate substitution.
Experimental investigation on the utilization of e-waste, plastic waste, and crushed coconut shell as partial replacements for natural aggregates in concrete
AI summary Read the abstract
"Researchers tested partial substitution of coarse aggregate in M25-grade concrete with plastic waste, e-waste, and crushed coconut shell, finding that up to 10% replacement maintains acceptable compressive strength (reaching 21.8 MPa at 5% substitution), offering a cost-effective and environmentally friendly approach to waste valorization in construction."
A Step towards Sustainable Concrete by Replacing Plastic Waste in Concrete: A Summary of its Mechanical Properties
AI summary Read the abstract
This study reviewed the use of plastic waste as aggregate or fiber in cement mortar and concrete, finding that plastic fibers enhanced mechanical performance while plastic coarse aggregates impaired concrete quality due to poor bonding. The review identifies research gaps and calls for further optimization to improve plastic-based concrete performance.
Geopolymer Concrete Based on Metakaolin and Fly Ash: a Critical Review of Mix Design, Fresh Properties, Mechanical Performance, Durability, and E-waste Plastic Incorporation
AI summary Read the abstract
This review paper looks at "greener" concrete made from recycled industrial materials (like coal ash) instead of traditional cement, which could reduce pollution from construction. Researchers also tested adding shredded electronic waste plastic into this concrete, it made the material lighter and easier to work with, but slightly weaker, though it still resisted water and chemical damage well in certain amounts. This matters because finding safe ways to reuse e-waste plastic in building materials could help keep it out of landfills, though more research is needed on long-term safety and whether any plastic particles could leach out over time.
Influence of replacing aggregates by recycled waste plastic on the mechanical properties of concrete: A review
AI summary Read the abstract
This review examines how incorporating recycled plastic aggregates into high-strength concrete affects its physical and mechanical properties, finding that while compressive strength decreases, concrete with recycled plastic remains viable for many engineering applications and offers benefits such as enhanced energy absorption and sulfuric acid resistance.
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.