Ferrous and Polyethylene Terephthalate Waste in the Production of Ecological Bricks: Characterization

Abstract

The final disposal of solid waste in Latin America is an invariable problem, which, coupled with the deficit of disposal infrastructure or eco-efficient transport systems, makes it difficult to comply with nationally determined contributions ( SINIA, 2017, p8), given this problem, solid waste they must be converted into useful materials, or incorporated into energy recovery processes, a current trend is to find new uses for plastics in the construction industry, to incorporate recycled elements in the construction of homes, construction of walls, covering slabs, tracks, recreation areas, etc. The objective of the research was to use waste polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and ferrous metal shavings for the production of ecological bricks. In the experimental test, five different prototypes of bricks were made with different doses of PET and ferrous metal shavings to later determine the characteristics of these bricks by comparing them with the Peruvian Technical Standards NTP 399.604 and NTP 399.613, related to the resistance to compression, the warp and sizing; Bricks with a maximum load between 60,278 and 34,221 kg, compressive strength between 194 and 110.5 kg/cm 2 and warpage between 2 and 3 mm were obtained. According to the results, it was determined that the first brick prototype classifies as type V, the second, third, and fourth bricks classify as type III, the fifth classifies as type IV, with the fifth and first bricks being the best quality, classifying as a suitable brick to be used as a load-bearing brick in housing coverings and complies with the stipulations of the E.070 Masonry Technical Standard. Therefore, mass production of this type of brick taking advantage of plastic and metal waste constitutes an environmentally sustainable alternative in the management of plastic waste.