Utilization and Durability of PET Waste Aggregate for Floor Tiles Production

Managing plastic waste is a global problem that threatens the safety of our environment due to its high generation and non-biodegradability. However, the PWs must be carefully managed in order to reduce the pollution involved in incineration and disposal of landfills. Plastic waste can be recycled into fresh, functional construction materials. In this study, the shredded PET waste aggregate from the recycling centre was heated to 230 0C and used as a binder for the full substitution of cement with river sand for the manufacture of floor tiles. The properties of the aggregate materials and floor tiles (including their distribution of particle size, silt, clay and dust content, relative density, water absorption, porosity, flexural and compressive strength) were evaluated on various PET wastes: sand mixing ratio, 100%, 90%, 70%, 50% and 30%. Results showed that the tiles formed by 30 per cent PET and 70 per cent River Sand (3:7) had a higher density, flexural and compressive strength than the other percentages of the mixture. The compressive strength of the tiles produced with 30% PET waste composition was higher than that of cement (with 28 days of curing) for residential buildings. Based on the strength, low water absorption and eco-friendliness, PET waste can be used for floor tiles with 30% PET substitution based on the test results.