Study of Thermal and Physical Mechanic Properties of CEB-reused PET

Currently, housing is a necessity in Mexico, considered a national problem that must be addressed through adequate housing proposals. The earth is a material that has worked since ancient times to produce structural elements, presenting advantages mainly in the areas near the site where housing is required due to availability as well as use strategies. On the other hand, it is known that the continuous increase of waste derived from polymers such as PET requires reuse strategies to reduce the environmental impact.

This paper, it is presents the analysis of compressed earth bricks with soil from Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico, which has been produced dosed and undipped with PET shrapnel obtained from reused waste, characterizing its mechanical and thermal properties in addition to electron microscopy and scanning analysis tests.

From the results obtained, it is observed that there is a 5% reduction in the mechanical resistance to compression, but without a significant difference in water absorption. Thermal diffusivity is also greatly improved.

Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analysis results show that high compression can compact PET back to its original shape by removing stress, which can produce micro-cracks, which explains the compressive strength changes.