The application of automotive glass waste in the production of epoxy polymer concrete

Abstract

In this paper, the production of aggregate from car windshield cullet and the use of this aggregate, in various compositions with fine quartz sand, as the reinforcing phase of the epoxy matrix polymer concrete were used and the obtained samples were tested. The bending and compressive strength, Charpy’s impact resistance tests were performed on the obtained composites. The porosity, water absorption, and density were also determined. The tests performed have shown that the application of car windshield cullet in polymer concrete, seems to be a good way to recycle this waste. The highest compressive strength, equal to 101 MPa, was obtained by composites containing 20 vol% of milled glass. It is nearly 7 times higher than the value of traditional concrete tested simultaneously, which has about 15 MPa. The highest flexural strength was noted for the composite containing 35 vol% of the glass. Polymer concrete samples did not show high impact resistance, which was in the range of 5.85 - 10.13 kJ/m2 . However, it increases with increasing glass content and the highest value was obtained for the composite containing 50% of the glass volume. Among the polymer concrete samples, the best properties were obtained for the mixture of 35% sand, 35% ground glass and 30% epoxy resin. Open porosity of traditional concrete is 15.9%, and for polymer concrete it was lower than 0.38%. The large difference in open porosity and water absorption for traditional concrete and polymer concrete, allow us to conclude that the latter will have higher frost resistance. The test results clearly show the significantly better mechanical properties of polymer concrete than of traditional concrete.