Mechanical characterization of plaster-based blends modified with high-density polyurethane wastes
David Rodríguez Izquierdo, Carmine Borgia, Luigino Filice, Francesco Gagliardi
Abstract. This research applies a circular economy model by reusing polymer waste from a local company, promoting recycling and revaluing these materials with applications in the construction sector. The study focuses on a plaster-based composite material, which is incorporated with recycled high-density polyurethane (HDP) particles. Different samples were prepared with specific proportions of HDP in the plaster matrix. With the objective of evaluating the physical-mechanical properties of different compounds, the relationships among specific process variables, which affect their performance in constructive applications, have been analyzed. For this, a factorial experimental design (DOE) with 3 levels and 2 factors was implemented, which allowed analyzing the interactions between the mixing ratio (R) and the amount of HDP, and how these variables affect the density, flexural strength and compression of the compounds. The most relevant results indicate that an increment of R, especially the highest tested level (R=0.7), negatively influences both the resistance to bending and compression caused by porosity, due to the increasing amount of water. An optimal level of R, which ensures good material performance without compromising its mechanical properties, was, in the end, determined. For what concerns the content of HDP, its increasing concentration decreases the performance of the compound in terms of compression resistance, below the minimum standards required value of 2MPa, when HDP at 10% was tested.
Keywords
Mechanical Recycling, Polymer, Plaster, Polyurethane, Memory-Foam, Circular Economy
Published online 5/7/2025, 7 pages
Copyright © 2025 by the author(s)
Published under license by Materials Research Forum LLC., Millersville PA, USA
Citation: David Rodríguez Izquierdo, Carmine Borgia, Luigino Filice, Francesco Gagliardi, Mechanical characterization of plaster-based blends modified with high-density polyurethane wastes, Materials Research Proceedings, Vol. 54, pp 2320-2326, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21741/9781644903599-250
The article was published as article 250 of the book Material Forming
Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
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