Production of paver blocks from polyethylene terephthalate solid waste as partial replacement of sand.

Abstract

Plastic waste management is an international concern. The amount of plastic trash produced globally is increasing at a rapid rate, and this pollution is caused by improper disposal, the waste's non-biodegradability, and the harmful gases released during incineration pose a hazard to human health. Because it's used in so many commonplace items, such as bottles and containers for the food and beverage sectors, polyethylene terephthalate, or PET, is one of the most widely used consumer polymers. Because of its many characteristics, including its inability to biodegrade and the gasses it releases when burned, it has grown to be a significant environmental problem. Waste made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) must therefore be recycled and used efficiently. The purpose of this study was to produce paver blocks by partially replacing sand with waste Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) material. Preparing the raw materials, mixing, vibrating, molding, curing, testing the flexural and compressive strengths, and curing are the steps in theproduction process. Design-Expert 13.0.0 Three-level Three factor Box–Behnken design was usedfor experimental design and statistical analysis of results based on the outcome and discussion. Atotal of 17 trials were carried out with the following parameters: 10, 20, and 30% of polyethylene terephthalate; 0.52, 0.55, and 0.58 as the water-to-cement ratio; and 7, 14, and 28 days for the curing period. The interaction effects were examined based on the examination of the experimental data. The physio-mechanical properties of the generated Paver Blocks, including water absorption, compressive strength, and flexural strength, were examined. When the water-tocement ratio was 0.55, the maximum flexural strength was 4.92 MPa, and the maximum compressive strength was 29.74 MPa, the ideal process variables for polyethylene terephthalate percentage were 10 and 28. The paver blocks' average and maximum water absorption rates were 3.39% and 3.95%, respectively. Compared to regular blocks, the resultant Paver Blocks are lighter and have superior physical and mechanical qualities. These are excellent illustrations of planned paver applications that can make use of prefabricated paver blocks