A polymer concrete (PC) was synthesized by mixing styrenated polyester (SP) and marble wastes as fillers. The unsaturated polyester (UP) used was prepared from the reaction of oligomers obtained from the depolymerization of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) soft drink bottles with maleic anhydride and adipic acid. The UP was then mixed with the styrene monomers at a ratio of 60: 40% by weight to obtain the SP used for the synthesis of the PC. The aim of this work is to study the suitability of the prepared PC to be used as polymer based building materials. Using marble and PET soft drink bottle wastes for the preparation of the PC affects the environment positively, by avoiding the accumulation of these wastes. Saving the raw materials of polymer and fillers for other applications is another economical advantage of preparing the PC from the recycled PET and marble waste. Mechanical integrity of the PC was studied as blocks prepared under different experimental conditions. Chemical resistance and water absorption were also followed to evaluate the durability of the products obtained. In addition, the flammability of the SP and the PC prepared was also studied. Based on the data obtained, it could be concluded that the PC under consideration has good chemical resistance for 20% Na2CO3, 10% Noah, tap water, ground water and sea water. Besides the acceptable chemical resistance, the prepared PC shows low apparent porosity, low water absorption, and small open pores.

No abstract

ABSTRACT:The increasing demand for poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) polymer, the simultaneous shortage in landfill disposal spaces, and known problems associated with PET waste specifically (e.g., its nonbiodegradability and huge accumulation) are challenges with which mankind must cope nowadays. In this study, PET postconsumer bottle wastes were cut to very small slides and then subjected to an aminolysis process with ethanol amine as a degradative agent in the presence of one catalyst from three used in this study. These catalysts were dibutyl tin oxide, sodium acetate, and cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide. The reaction was performed in sunlight: a beneficial, clean, cheap, and renewable source of energy. The end product, which was a white precipitate of bis(2-hydroxyethylene) terephthalamide, was subjected to spectrophotometric and thermal analyses. The product was characterized to asses its suitability for use in pigments in anticorrosive paint formulations. In general, this process was a green, environmentally friendly degradation based on the utilization of solar energy for the aminolysis reaction using simple, cheap, available chemicals as catalysts. The originality of this study was derived from the use of waste materials to yield a product with beneficial applications in the field of corrosion inhibition.

A new polymer–cement composite based on a recycled expanded polystyrene (EPS) resin has been developed as an effective method for EPS foam wastes management. The liquefied polymer is prepared by dissolving the foam waste in acetone, then in toluene at the ratio 113:2:1 per volume, respectively. The composite is made by incorporating the resulting resin into cement‐paste at selected water:cement ratios. At the end of defined curing periods, the physical, mechanical, and thermal characterizations of the obtained composite were evaluated under variable factors e.g., Acetone: toluene ratio, water:cement ratio (w/c), curing periods. Compressive strength, apparent porosity, bulk density, and specific gravity were determined for the composite under the various stated conditions. FT‐IR, XRD, thermal analysis, and scanning electron microscope (SEM) were performed for the hard blocks to study the effect of the added recycled EPS resin on the microstructure of the end products. Based on the data so far obtained it can be concluded that the candidate dissolution process of EPS foam wastes is an easily environmental friendly technique that allows afterward using the resultant resin for producing an added value, low cost, promising market competitive, and multipurpose light weight cement composite. POLYM. COMPOS., 2011. © 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers

No abstract

The submitted work discussed the possibility of using two of the most problematic wastes to formulate an added-value hard wood-composite (HWC). The lignocellulosic rice straws (RS) fibers (as reinforced filler) and recycled expanded polystyrene foam (PS) wastes (as dispersed polymer matrix), were used to formulated the hard wood product applying the hot press technique. The air dried RS was added to the molten PS at increasing ratios (30-70% mass:mass), and the reached HWC sheet was subjected to tensile strength, water absorption and acoustic resistance characterizations. Based on the experimental data, it was found that increasing the RS contents accompanied with a diminish in the tensile strength value by about 50% at 70% RS compare to that at 30% RS. To improve the adhesion between the hydrophilic filler RS and the hydrophobic PS matrix, maleated PS graft (PS-g-MA) was prepared and added at the expanse of the PS content, to formulate an additional wood-composite (HWCg) aiming to have better mechanical and dimensional stability features. Results obtained indicated that increasing the coupling agent content, keeping the RS added constant, enhance the tensile strength feature in addition, reduced the water absorption for the final products by more than 45%. The data obtained suggested that, it can create added-value hard wood composites entirely from the two nominated problematic wastes. In addition to the value gained by the environment, the reached hard wood products record acceptable mechanical characterization, dimensional stability and sound resistance properties that qualified it to replace the natural wood in many daily applications.

No abstract

No abstract