Effects of glass powder and Gypsum (Timchemt) on the thermal and mechanical properties of plaster bricks

Abstract

The present research aims to study the effect of glass powder extracted from the glass waste disposal area in Ouargla (southern Algeria) on the thermo mechanical properties of plaster bricks. Therefore, density, compressive strength, flexural strength, thermal conductivity, and thermal resistance were measured in the laboratory using mixtures generated through the response surface methodology (RSM). This RSM technique was used to assess the influence of gypsum (95% – 100%) and glass powder (0% – 5%) on the behavior of hardened plaster bricks. The experimental results and RSM evaluation show a significant increase in compressive and flexural strength at the maximum and minimum levels of Timchemt and glass powder, and detailed scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses supported the results. Consequently, quadratic mathematical models were developed using the RSM method applied to the obtained results. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) yielded a (P-value <0.05) and correlations exceeding 91% for all the studied parameters. Probability plots showed excellent correlation between predicted and experimental values, and the 2D and 3D contours of the RSM demonstrated that the fitted models work very well and can provide the appropriate relationship between the selected parameters and thermo mechanical properties.