Influence of material composition on the morphology and engineering properties of waste plastic binder composite for construction purposes

Ways of mitigating the menace caused by the abundance of waste plastic generated have been a global concern. Efforts are geared towards intensification of the recycling culture for circular economy. Recent studies combined waste plastic and sand to make Waste Plastic Binder (WPB) composite materials. However, sand mining operation has been associated with environmental and ecological issues. This study explores the engineering properties of waste plastic and quarry dust composite for sustainable infrastructural development. The polyethylene terephthalate type of plastic (PET) was employed, and which was melted and mixed with QD at different compositions of 1:0, 1:1, 1:2, and 1:3 respectively. The influence of the varying compositions on the morphological and engineering properties of resulting WPB composite was investigated. The scanning electron microscopy image showed that WPB composite with higher percentage of QD possess lesser pore space, and which influenced the high strength values. The findings showed P&QD 1:3 have highest compressive strength value of 20.1MPa, and which meets up with the American Concrete Institute and South African standard minimum requirement of 17MPa for structural lightweight concrete applicable for walkways, walling and water retaining structures constructions.