A team of American researchers has demonstrated that the incorporation of fibers from the shredding of surgical masks into conventional cement makes it possible to obtain an overall more efficient concrete.
Giving a second life to surgical masks
The pandemic of Covid-19 has led to an unprecedented increase in the use of disposable face masks globally, now a particularly abundant form of waste often found in nature. If it had previously been shown that these devices could be transformed into flexible and inexpensive batteries, recent work published in the journal Materials Letters suggest a much more basic application.
Because incorporating tiny fibers into concrete as it is mixed is known to strengthen it and reduce its tendency to crack, researchers at theuniversity of washington questioned whether polypropylene or polyester from used face masks could be used for these purposes.
After removing the metal nose clips and ties from the masks, the researchers shredded the remaining fabric into fibers 5-30mm in length. These were then treated with a graphene oxide solution, forming a coating allowing them to bond more effectively to the cement paste.
Impressive tensile strength
When cement reinforced with 0.1% of this type of fiber was tested one month after it had hardened, the team found that it had 47% higher splitting tensile strength than Portland cement. traditional, for a lower compressive strength of only 3%.
” This work confirms that disposable masks can be effectively recycled for large-scale application “, valued Xianming Shilead author of the study.
A few weeks ago, Australian researchers showed that the use of durable concrete made from used tires could extend the lifespan of buildings while helping to solve the environmental problem that this equipment represents.
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