Experimental investigations on the workability of sustainable composite by recycling waste plastics and agro-waste

Abstract

Widespread applications of raw materials in building construction with population generation have steadily increased the demand for fresh raw materials and provoked environmental pollution. Development of sustainable building materials by recycling various solid waste could be a viable approach to reduce the problems arising from generating solid waste besides providing an alternative raw material for building construction. The present study demonstrates the development of polymeric composite materials as floor tile using different waste plastics, includes lowdensity polyethylene, high-density polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, and polypropylene as matrices with incorporation rice husk ash and sand as fillers. The workability of the developed materials was verified through experimental evaluations of physical, mechanical, and tribological properties. The minimum values of water absorption and abrasive wear were found to be 0.0397 % and 0.03267 (cm3 ) for the composites LDPE50PET20S30 and LD50S50, respectively. However, the composites HD50S50 resulted in an optimum mechanical strength with compressive strength and flexural strength of 46.2 and 6.24 (N/mm2 ), respectively. It was observed that the workability of the composites improves with the incorporation of sand particles. The scope of the present study relies on the development of methods and techniques for developing sustainable building materials through recycling of solid waste along with its characterization which provides an easy reference for solid waste processing towards sustainability.