Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Face Mask Wastes as Cementitious Materials: A Possible Solution to a Big Concern

Researchers investigated the use of waste surgical masks as a cementitious additive in mortars without pretreatment, addressing the dual problem of pandemic-era mask waste and microplastic contamination. The study evaluated the mechanical and environmental performance of mortars incorporating mask materials as part of circular economy waste management.

2022 Materials 27 citations
Article Tier 2

Mechanical Behavior of Masonry Mortars Reinforced with Disposable Face Mask Strips

Researchers experimentally analyzed the mechanical behavior of masonry mortars reinforced with disposable face mask strips cut into 3x3 mm and 3x10 mm sizes, providing data on flexural and compressive strength changes at varying fiber inclusion levels. The study found that face mask strips can improve certain mechanical properties of mortar mixtures, supporting the feasibility of recycling pandemic-era disposable plastics as construction material reinforcement.

2024 Materials 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Property assessment of an eco-friendly mortar reinforced with recycled mask fiber derived from COVID-19 single-use face masks

Researchers developed an eco-friendly mortar reinforced with recycled polypropylene fibers from COVID-19 single-use face masks, demonstrating a practical approach to repurposing pandemic waste while reducing environmental microplastic contamination.

2023 Journal of Building Engineering 45 citations
Article Tier 2

Innovative Use of Single-Use Face Mask Fibers for the Production of a Sustainable Cement Mortar

Researchers recycled disposable face masks into polypropylene fibers and added them to cement mortar, finding that small amounts improved the mortar's strength and crack resistance. The recycling process included full disinfection of the mask material before processing. This approach could help address the massive waste from single-use masks while creating a useful construction material, turning pandemic waste into a resource.

2023 Journal of Composites Science 52 citations
Article Tier 2

Reutilizing Single-Use Surgical Face Masks to Improve the Mechanical Properties of Concrete: A Feasibility Study

Researchers investigated reutilizing single-use surgical face masks as a material to improve the mechanical properties of construction or composite materials. The study demonstrates a potential upcycling pathway for pandemic-generated mask waste, converting a pollution problem into a resource.

2023 Engineering Technology & Applied Science Research 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Effective recycling of disposable medical face masks for sustainable green concrete via a new fiber hybridization technique

Researchers recycled disposable medical face masks by shredding them into fibers and hybridizing them with basalt fibers in recycled aggregate concrete, finding that the combined fiber approach improved compressive strength by 12%, tensile strength by 26%, and flexural strength by 60% compared to unmodified concrete — meeting structural requirements while diverting mask waste from landfills.

2022 Construction and Building Materials 55 citations
Article Tier 2

Estudo da adição de fibras de máscaras faciais N95, sílica ativa e pó de mármore em argamassa de alto desempenho

Researchers investigated incorporating shredded N95 face mask fibers at 1.4% and 2.0% by cement weight into mortars, alongside silica fume and marble powder, finding that pandemic-era PPE waste can be recycled as reinforcing material in construction applications.

2023 Matéria (Rio de Janeiro) 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Green Recycling and Long-Term Immobilization of Disposable Medical Masks for Enhanced Mechanical Performance of Self-Compacting Recycled Concrete

Researchers proposed an eco-friendly strategy to repurpose discarded COVID-era medical masks as fiber reinforcement in self-compacting recycled aggregate concrete. Mask-derived polypropylene fibers improved tensile strength and reduced brittleness while providing an environmentally responsible disposal route for pandemic plastic waste.

2025 Buildings
Article Tier 2

Enhancing Concrete Strength with Recycled Disposable Face Mask Fibers: A Novel Approach to Sustainable Construction

Researchers developed a novel method to recycle disposable face masks (DFMs) from the COVID-19 pandemic by converting them into reinforcing fibers for concrete, addressing both medical plastic waste accumulation and microplastic pollution risks from discarded masks. The recycled mask fibers, added to concrete mixtures after a preliminary treatment process, were found to enhance the structural strength properties of the resulting composite material.

2025 Journal of Studies in Science and Engineering
Article Tier 2

Alternative Waste Characterization and Its Functional Reuse in Cement-Based Composites

Researchers found that during COVID-19, people threw away more face masks and consumed more tea, so they tested mixing these waste materials into cement to make building materials. Adding small amounts of masks and tea waste to cement can help reduce waste while still making strong enough construction materials. This approach could help solve the growing problem of pandemic-related waste while creating useful building supplies.

2026 Applied Sciences
Article Tier 2

Analysis of the effect of using Covid-19 medical mask waste with polypropylene on the compressive strength and split tensile strength of high-performance concrete

Researchers analyzed the effect of incorporating shredded Covid-19 medical mask waste (polypropylene fibers) into high-performance concrete mixes, testing the impact on compressive strength and splitting tensile strength at multiple fiber addition levels. The study found that sterilized and cut mask fibers can function as reinforcement in concrete, offering an innovative approach to managing the large volume of pandemic-generated plastic mask waste.

2023 Eastern-European Journal of Enterprise Technologies 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Sustainable use of COVID-19 discarded face masks to improve the performance of stone mastic asphalt

Researchers found that incorporating shredded COVID-19 face mask waste into stone mastic asphalt improved the pavement mixture's performance, offering a dual benefit of reducing pandemic waste while enhancing road construction materials.

2023 Construction and Building Materials 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Environmental Impact of Disposable Face Masks: Degradation, Wear, and Cement Mortar Incorporation

This study examined the environmental impact of disposable face masks, measuring their degradation into microplastics under UV and mechanical stress, assessing how masks wear during use, and testing whether mask materials affect cement mortar properties if incorporated into construction. Masks were found to fragment readily and could affect construction material performance.

2024
Article Tier 2

Repurposing the disposable face masks in hot mix asphalt: Enhancing pavement performance and addressing plastic waste pollution

Researchers investigated repurposing shredded single-use polypropylene face masks as an additive in hot mix asphalt, evaluating improvements to mechanical performance of the pavement while simultaneously addressing the surge in disposable mask waste generated during the COVID-19 pandemic.

2025
Article Tier 2

Effect of Waste Mask Fabric Scraps on Strength and Moisture Susceptibility of Asphalt Mixture with Nano-Carbon-Modified Filler

Researchers tested the effects of incorporating waste mask fabric scraps and nano-carbon-modified filler into hot mix asphalt mixtures at 0.3% and 0.5% by weight. The combined additions improved tensile strength and fatigue resistance while offering a constructive disposal pathway for pandemic-era mask waste.

2025 Infrastructures
Article Tier 2

Physical and mechanical properties of fly ash‐based geopolymer with disposable medical mask reinforcement

This study incorporated shredded disposable medical masks as reinforcing fibers in fly ash-based geopolymer materials, testing physical and mechanical properties of the resulting composites. The approach offers a way to divert PPE waste from landfills while potentially improving construction material performance.

2023 Journal of Applied Polymer Science 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Mechanical characterizations of waste face masks reinforced polyester composites: Recycling wastes into resources

Researchers explored recycling discarded face masks into composite materials by combining shredded mask fibers with polyester resin. The resulting composites showed promising mechanical strength comparable to natural fiber alternatives, suggesting that waste face masks could be repurposed rather than ending up as microplastic pollution in the environment.

2024 Heliyon 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Environmental impact of disposable face masks: degradation, wear, and cement mortar incorporation

Researchers examined how disposable polypropylene face masks break down in the environment, releasing microplastics and nanoplastics after just 117 days of outdoor exposure. The study also tested incorporating shredded mask material into cement mortar and found it did not significantly harm the material's structural properties, suggesting construction applications as one way to divert mask waste from the environment.

2025 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of COVID-19 Face Mask Additives on the High-Temperature and Fatigue Performance of Asphalt Binder

This engineering study tested whether shredded disposable face masks could be used as additives in road asphalt. Adding 5% mask material modestly improved fatigue life, but higher percentages reduced it, suggesting limited but possible applications for recycling mask waste into road materials.

2023 Advances in transdisciplinary engineering 1 citations
Article Tier 2

An Investigation into the Behavior of Disposable Face Masks in Modified Bitumen for Sustainable Transportation Pathways

Researchers tested disposable face mask ash as an additive to bitumen at 5-20% by weight for use in road construction, finding that the PEN 60/70 grade bitumen showed improved asphalt properties, suggesting COVID-era mask waste could be repurposed as a sustainable road-building material.

2023 Jurnal Kejuruteraan 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Production and Characterization of Waste Mask Reinforced Polyester Composite

Researchers produced and characterized polyester composites reinforced with ground waste COVID-19 masks at 0-10% by mass, finding that increasing mask content decreased density and Shore D hardness while raising porosity, thermal conductivity, and activation energy.

2022 İnönü Üniversitesi Sağlık Hizmetleri Meslek Yüksek Okulu Dergisi 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of Fiber Stripes of COVID-19 Healthy Personal Materials On Durability, And Physicomechanical Characteristic of Concrete For Decorative Landscape Pavements And Artificial Rocks

This engineering study tested whether fiber strips cut from pandemic-era personal protective equipment (surgical masks and protective suits) could be incorporated into concrete to improve its mechanical durability. Adding PPE-derived fibers improved some concrete properties, potentially offering a way to recycle pandemic plastic waste in construction applications. This diverts single-use plastic waste from landfill while creating a useful product.

2021 Research Square (Research Square)
Article Tier 2

Sustainable development goals for industry, innovation, and infrastructure: demolition waste incorporated with nanoplastic waste enhanced the physicomechanical properties of white cement paste composites

Researchers tested whether adding nanoplastic waste (tiny plastic particles) alongside ultrafine demolition rubble as partial substitutes in white cement could improve its physical properties. The combination enhanced mechanical strength and durability, suggesting that nanoplastic waste from pandemic-era PPE could be repurposed as a construction material additive rather than polluting soils and waterways.

2023 Applied Nanoscience 72 citations
Article Tier 2

Mechanical behavior of sands reinforced with shredded face masks

Researchers added shredded COVID-19 face masks to sand samples and found that the plastic fiber inclusions substantially improved undrained shear strength, with longer mask strips and lower confining stress producing the greatest gains, suggesting masks could serve as a low-cost soil reinforcement material.

2022 Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment 22 citations