The Use of Recycled Polyethylene in Water-Oil Emulsion for Lightweight Concrete
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Date
2024
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
International Journal of Polymer Science
Abstract
This study was to determine the suitability of recycled waste polyethylene (WPE) processed into water-oil emulsion for
lightweight concrete applications. The processed WPE in the form of polyethylene emulsion (PE-e) is to promote physical
interaction between the polymeric material and the cementitious matrix. The PE-e used was also to partially replace concrete
mix composition by PE-e_1, PE-e_2.5, PE-e_5, and PE-e_10 percents for reference concrete and to introduce plasticity into the
mechanical behaviour of the concrete. The PE was processed into PE-e to promote affinity for water, and this hydrophilicity
was prominent in PE-e_1 and PE-e_2.5 percent concretes. Concretes with PE-e_1 and PE-e_2.5 percent formed good
miscibility with the cementitious matrix. The density of the PE-e concrete decreased to 13.68% with 10% PE-e at 28 days. The
replacement of mix constituents of PE-e_1, PE-e_2.5, and PE-e_5 percent induced elastic to plastic behaviour in the concrete
coupled with low water absorption. The FTIR data showed characteristic peaks of 3378 cm-1, 1740 cm-1, and 1148 cm-1 in the
PE-e. Using optical microscopy, it was shown that the PE particles were homogenously dispersed in the concrete matrix. The
study shows the feasibility of using PE-e_1 percent to produce structural lightweight concrete and up to PE-e_10 percent for
nonstructural applications mainly for light, non-load-bearing partitions
Description
Research Article
Keywords
Recycled Polyethylene, Lightweight Concrete, Water-Oil Emulsion