Recycled Polymer Concrete Composite: A Retrospective Review of the Literature and Framework for Thermal Comfort in Homes

Abstract:

The aim of this paper is to review the literature on Materials science to identify the current research and to provide direction for future research in thermal properties of the concrete block composite, either with Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) or Polystyrene (PS), presenting the opportunity to make an important methodological contribution by applying systematic review in three areas of Materials science: Composites, Building Materials, as well as Testing and Evaluation of Materials. This is a growing interdisciplinary field since there are no current comparative papers addressing both PET and PS in the same research for concrete composites. Papers investigating to what extent, what type and how academic publications are integrated on the analysis of the characteristics of the two recycled polymers (PET and PS), to improve the thermal properties of the concrete block and contribute to the research of sustainable thermal comfort in homes. They were reviewed, keywords were identified within a framework of composites, building materials, as well as testing and evaluation of materials, and a lexical analysis of the papers was conducted. The results of current research show that both forms of recycling (PS and PET), combined with concrete, have sustainability in thermal comfort. The analysis reveals that previous research has focused on PET-Concrete (i.e., concrete-PET polymer composite) since it is more viable, due to its large amount of recycling. While this has benefited home builders in their ability to respond with some thermal comfort with higher construction efficiency, it also clarifies that there has been research done on PS-Concrete (i.e., concrete-PS polymer composite), presenting greater thermal comfort, because it has lower thermal conductivity. This finding suggests the need for further research within this narrow field, with absence of data, since most prescriptive recommendations have not been tested and lack practical applications, which is why the need for more empirical and experimental studies are identified. Based on the novelty of the PET or PS recycling concepts, we highlight the need of better collaboration between academic disciplines, such as engineering and architecture to provide better experimental evidence for recycling of polymers, including empirical approaches for the different types of composites and aggregate distributions, which can be made with concrete to improve thermal insulation performance and energy savings for manufacturers.

• Periodical: Materials Science Forum (Volume 1015)
• Pages: 15-21
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/MSF.1015.15
• Online since: November 2020
• Authors: Cesar Humberto Ortega-Jimenez*, Eduardo Ardón, Jose Pineda, Carlos Ventura, Carlos Núñez, Darwin Núñez, Carlos Romero
• Keywords: Building Materials, Composites, Concrete Block, Evaluation of Materials, Materials Science, Polyethylene Terephthalate, Polystyrene, Recycled Polymer, Testing, Thermal Comfort

References

[1] Nagashima K, Tokizawa K, Marui S. Thermal comfort. Handb. Clin. Neurol., vol. 156. 1st ed., Elsevier B.V.; 2018, p.249–60.

[2] Rahman MM, Islam MA, Ahmed M, Salam MA. Recycled Polymer Materials as Aggregates for Concrete and Blocks. J Chem Eng 2013;27:53–7.

DOI: 10.3329/jce.v27i1.15859

[3] Singh P, Sharma VP. Integrated Plastic Waste Management: Environmental and Improved Health Approaches. Procedia Environ Sci 2016;35:692–700.

DOI: 10.1016/j.proenv.2016.07.068

[4] Ezeah C, Fazakerley JA, Roberts CL. Emerging trends in informal sector recycling in developing and transition countries. Waste Manag 2013;33:2509–19.

DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2013.06.020

[5] Evernden MC, Toby Mottram J. A case for houses to be constructed of fibre reinforced polymer components. Proc Inst Civ Eng Constr Mater 2012;165:3–13.

[6] Kim B, Wisniewski J, Baker T, Oyinlola M. Behaviour of sand-filled plastic bottled clay panels for sustainable homes. J Build Eng 2019;26:100895.

DOI: 10.1016/j.jobe.2019.100895

[7] Waroonkun T, Puangpinyo T, Tongtuam Y. The Development of a Concrete Block Containing PET Plastic Bottle Flakes. J Sustain Dev 2017;10:186.

DOI: 10.5539/jsd.v10n6p186

[8] Morillón D. Habitabilidad térmica en la vivienda. Soc Mex Ing Estructural 2007:1–15.

[9] Cengel Y, Ghajar A. Transferencia de calor y masa Fundamentos y masa. 4th ed. Mc Graw Hill; (2011).

[10] García-Ten J, Silva G, Cantavella V, Lorente-Ayza M-M. Utilización de materiales aligerantes en la fabricación de bloques de Termoarcilla. Incluencia sobre la conductividad térmica y el comportamiento en el proceso. ConArquitectura Arquit Con Arcilla Cocida 2005;16:89.

DOI: 10.14718/revarq.2023.25.3987

[11] Siddique R, Khatib J, Kaur I. Use of recycled plastic in concrete: A review. Waste Manag 2008;28:1835–52.

DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2007.09.011

[12] Dissanayake DMKW, Jayasinghe C, Jayasinghe MTR. A comparative embodied energy analysis of a house with recycled expanded polystyrene (EPS) based foam concrete wall panels. Energy Build 2017;135:85–94.

DOI: 10.1016/j.enbuild.2016.11.044

[13] Alfahdawi IH, Osman SA, Hamid R, AL-Hadithi AI. Influence of PET wastes on the environment and high strength concrete properties exposed to high temperatures. Constr Build Mater 2019;225:358–70.

DOI: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2019.07.214

[14] Awaja F, Pavel D. Recycling of PET. Eur Polym J 2005;41:1453–77.

[15] Kaya A, Kar F. Properties of concrete containing waste expanded polystyrene and natural resin. Constr Build Mater 2016;105:572–8.

DOI: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2015.12.177

[16] Demirboga R, Kan A. Thermal conductivity and shrinkage properties of modified waste polystyrene aggregate concretes. Constr Build Mater 2012;35:730–4.

DOI: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2012.04.105

[17] Kodur V. Properties of concrete at elevated temperatures. Int Sch Res Not 2014;2014:15.

[18] Geyer R, Jambeck JR, Law KL. Production, use, and fate of all plastics ever made. Sci Adv 2017;3:25–9.

DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1700782

[19] Saldívar-Guerra E, Vivaldo-Lima E. Introduction to Polymers and Polymer Types. Handb Polym Synth Charact Process 2013:1–14.

DOI: 10.1002/9781118480793.ch1

[20] Awoyera PO, Adesina A. Plastic wastes to construction products: Status, limitations and future perspective. Case Stud Constr Mater 2020;12:e00330.

DOI: 10.1016/j.cscm.2020.e00330

[21] Groover M p. Unidades estándar empleadas en este libro. (2007).

[22] Akçaözoǧlu S, Akçaözoǧlu K, Atiş CD. Thermal conductivity, compressive strength and ultrasonic wave velocity of cementitious composite containing waste PET lightweight aggregate (WPLA). Compos Part B Eng 2013;45:721–6.

DOI: 10.1016/j.compositesb.2012.09.012

[23] Sharma R, Bansal PP. Use of different forms of waste plastic in concrete - A review. J Clean Prod 2016;112:473–82.

[24] Inayat I, Salim SS, Marczak S, Daneva M, Shamshirband S. A systematic literature review on agile requirements engineering practices and challenges. Comput Human Behav 2015;51:915–29.

DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2014.10.046

[25] Fraternali F, Ciancia V, Chechile R, Rizzano G, Feo L, Incarnato L. Experimental study of the thermo-mechanical properties of recycled PET fiber-reinforced concrete. Compos Struct 2011;93:2368–74.

DOI: 10.1016/j.compstruct.2011.03.025

[26] Yadykina, V.V. and Chichigin M. Warm Asphalt Mixes Based on Polymer-Bitumen Binders. Mater Sci Forum 2020;992:243–7.

DOI: 10.4028/www.scientific.net/msf.992.243

[27] Shekhovtsova SY. Features of the Formation of Properties of Stone-Mastic Asphalt Concrete Based on a Warm Polymer Modified Binder. Mater Sci Forum 2020;992:200–5.

DOI: 10.4028/www.scientific.net/msf.992.200

[28] Evstafyeva N, Stefanenko I, Akchurin T. Modification of Concrete with Polymer Additives Based on Secondary Resources. Mater Sci Forum 2019;974:277–82.

DOI: 10.4028/www.scientific.net/msf.974.277