Biomineralization of Plastic Waste to Improve the Strength of Plastic-Reinforced Cement Mortar
The development of methods to reuse large volumes of plastic waste is essential to curb the environmental impact of plastic pollution. Plastic-reinforced cementitious materials (PRCs), such as plastic-reinforced mortar (PRM), may be potential avenues to productively use large quantities of low-value...
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MDPI AG
2021-04-01
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| Series: | Materials |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/8/1949 |
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| author | Seth Kane Abby Thane Michael Espinal Kendra Lunday Hakan Armağan Adrienne Phillips Chelsea Heveran Cecily Ryan |
| author_facet | Seth Kane Abby Thane Michael Espinal Kendra Lunday Hakan Armağan Adrienne Phillips Chelsea Heveran Cecily Ryan |
| author_sort | Seth Kane |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The development of methods to reuse large volumes of plastic waste is essential to curb the environmental impact of plastic pollution. Plastic-reinforced cementitious materials (PRCs), such as plastic-reinforced mortar (PRM), may be potential avenues to productively use large quantities of low-value plastic waste. However, poor bonding between the plastic and cement matrix reduces the strength of PRCs, limiting its viable applications. In this study, calcium carbonate biomineralization techniques were applied to coat plastic waste and improved the compressive strength of PRM. Two biomineralization treatments were examined: enzymatically induced calcium carbonate precipitation (EICP) and microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP). MICP treatment of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resulted in PRMs with compressive strengths similar to that of plastic-free mortar and higher than the compressive strengths of PRMs with untreated or EICP-treated PET. Based on the results of this study, MICP was used to treat hard-to-recycle types 3–7 plastic waste. No plastics investigated in this study inhibited the MICP process. PRM samples with 5% MICP-treated polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and mixed type 3–7 plastic had compressive strengths similar to plastic-free mortar. These results indicate that MICP treatment can improve PRM strength and that MICP-treated PRM shows promise as a method to reuse plastic waste. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T12:22:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-94d31d6edc574500b05b05ea4805722c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-1944 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T12:22:21Z |
| publishDate | 2021-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Materials |
| spelling | doaj.art-94d31d6edc574500b05b05ea4805722c2023-11-21T15:24:17ZengMDPI AGMaterials1996-19442021-04-01148194910.3390/ma14081949Biomineralization of Plastic Waste to Improve the Strength of Plastic-Reinforced Cement MortarSeth Kane0Abby Thane1Michael Espinal2Kendra Lunday3Hakan Armağan4Adrienne Phillips5Chelsea Heveran6Cecily Ryan7Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Department, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USACenter for Biofilm Engineering, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USAMechanical and Industrial Engineering Department, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USACapital High School, Helena, MT 59601, USAOmaha Burke High School, Omaha, NE 68154, USACenter for Biofilm Engineering, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USAMechanical and Industrial Engineering Department, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USAMechanical and Industrial Engineering Department, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USAThe development of methods to reuse large volumes of plastic waste is essential to curb the environmental impact of plastic pollution. Plastic-reinforced cementitious materials (PRCs), such as plastic-reinforced mortar (PRM), may be potential avenues to productively use large quantities of low-value plastic waste. However, poor bonding between the plastic and cement matrix reduces the strength of PRCs, limiting its viable applications. In this study, calcium carbonate biomineralization techniques were applied to coat plastic waste and improved the compressive strength of PRM. Two biomineralization treatments were examined: enzymatically induced calcium carbonate precipitation (EICP) and microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP). MICP treatment of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resulted in PRMs with compressive strengths similar to that of plastic-free mortar and higher than the compressive strengths of PRMs with untreated or EICP-treated PET. Based on the results of this study, MICP was used to treat hard-to-recycle types 3–7 plastic waste. No plastics investigated in this study inhibited the MICP process. PRM samples with 5% MICP-treated polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and mixed type 3–7 plastic had compressive strengths similar to plastic-free mortar. These results indicate that MICP treatment can improve PRM strength and that MICP-treated PRM shows promise as a method to reuse plastic waste.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/8/1949plastic wastecementconcretemicrobial-induced calcium carbonate precipitationvalorizationplastic-reinforced concrete |
| spellingShingle | Seth Kane Abby Thane Michael Espinal Kendra Lunday Hakan Armağan Adrienne Phillips Chelsea Heveran Cecily Ryan Biomineralization of Plastic Waste to Improve the Strength of Plastic-Reinforced Cement Mortar Materials plastic waste cement concrete microbial-induced calcium carbonate precipitation valorization plastic-reinforced concrete |
| title | Biomineralization of Plastic Waste to Improve the Strength of Plastic-Reinforced Cement Mortar |
| title_full | Biomineralization of Plastic Waste to Improve the Strength of Plastic-Reinforced Cement Mortar |
| title_fullStr | Biomineralization of Plastic Waste to Improve the Strength of Plastic-Reinforced Cement Mortar |
| title_full_unstemmed | Biomineralization of Plastic Waste to Improve the Strength of Plastic-Reinforced Cement Mortar |
| title_short | Biomineralization of Plastic Waste to Improve the Strength of Plastic-Reinforced Cement Mortar |
| title_sort | biomineralization of plastic waste to improve the strength of plastic reinforced cement mortar |
| topic | plastic waste cement concrete microbial-induced calcium carbonate precipitation valorization plastic-reinforced concrete |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/8/1949 |
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