Performance Evaluation of the Polyurethane-Based Composites Prepared with Recycled Polymer Concrete Aggregate

Abstract

Currently the investigation on recycled cement concrete aggregate has been widely conducted, while the understanding of the recycled polymer concrete aggregate is still limited. This study aims to fill this knowledge gap through the experimental investigation on mechanical and durability performance. Specifically, the remolded polyurethane stabilized Pisha sandstone was collected as the recycled polymer concrete aggregate. The remolded Pisha sandstone was then applied to re-prepare the polyurethane-based composites. After that, the mechanical performance of the prepared composites was first examined with unconfined and triaxial compressive tests. The results indicated that the Pisha sandstone reduces the composite’s compressive strength. The reduction is caused by the remained polyurethane material on the surface of the remolded aggregate, which reduces its bond strength with the new polyurethane material. Aiming at this issue, this study applied the ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) to enhance the bond performance between the polyurethane and remolded sandstone. The test results indicated both the unconfined and triaxle compressive strength of the polyurethane composites were enhanced with the added EVA content. Furthermore, the durability performance of the EVA-modified composites were examined through freeze-thaw and wet-dry cycle tests. The test results indicated the EVA could enhance the polyurethane composites’ resistance to both wet-dry and freeze-thaw cycles. Overall, the modification with EVA can compensate for the strength loss of polyurethane composites because of the applied remolded aggregate and enhance its sustainability.

Polymeric composite materials for radiation shielding: a review

“…The performance of polyurethane-based composites is prepared from recycled polymer concrete via adding ethylene–vinyl acetate (EVA). They found that the mechanical and durability of the composite were enhanced by increasing ethylene–vinyl acetate (Ma et al 2020 ). A combination of recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fibers and epoxy/calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 )-stearic acid composites was prepared, the optimal content for calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ) particle modification was 2 wt% (weight percent), and the thermal stability and mechanical properties were improved (Nguyen et al 2020 ).…”

Preparation and Mechanical-Fatigue Properties of Elastic Polyurethane Concrete Composites

“…EPUC (EPUC) is a composite material mixed with one component or two component Polyurethane as the binder, cement sand as the filler aggregate and mixed with a certain proportion of rubber particles. Compared with conventional concrete, EPUC has lower density, higher strength and a shorter fitting time and, in the flow state, it is a kind of colloid in nature, with strong bonding force, no peeling damage and a strong ability to limit cracks; however, it has high usage costs and considerable construction process requirements [2,3]. At the same time, the addition of rubber particles can effectively reduce the internal stress and failure cracks of EPUC; it effectively inherits the energy absorption and impact resistance characteristics of the rubber particles [4], which can protect engineering structures and resist fatigue, thus prolonging a given structure's service life.…”

Preparation and Properties of Bio-Based Attapulgite Copolymer (BAC) Sand-Fixing Material

“…Chemical sand fixation involves spraying cementing materials on the sand surface to form a layer that sticks loose sand together, preventing the desertification disasters caused by wind-blown sand [ 12 ]. Chemical sand-fixing materials primarily include inorganic colloidal sand-fixing materials [ 13 ], organic colloidal sand-fixing materials [ 14 ] and organic–inorganic hybrid sand-fixing materials [ 15 ]. There are several advantages of chemical sand fixation, such as simple operation, good effects, and low cost [ 16 ].…”