INFLUENCE OF RECYCLED PET FIBERS AS REINFORCEMENT OF ADOBE

Abstract

Inadequate disposal given to plastic waste materials such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) contributes enormously to environmental pollution in Brazil, since such waste has a low rate of biodegradation (decomposition time over 100 years). This paper aims to investigate the influence of recycled PET fibers (RPET) on the behavior of adobe with the purpose of using adequately this waste and provides additional advantages on the adobe behavior. Five experimental adobes mixtures were manufactured with different clay contents and two R-PET fibers contents (0.25% and 0.5%) by volume of dry materials. Compressive strength, flexural and shrinkage tests were carried out on the adobe specimens. The compressive and flexural tests results indicate that effect of the R-PET fibers was more visible in the mixtures with higher clay content and 0.5% of R-PET fibers. The compressive strength was increased and the post-cracking flexural strength was improved, indicated a more ductile behavior of this mixture. The use of R-PET fibers was also efficient on the shrinkage control and cracking of adobe specimens. Shrinkage tests showed the R-PET fiber had little influence on the mixture with lower clay content and a greater influence on the mixture with a higher clay content, reaching a reduction in shrinkage of up to 48%.