Influence of Short Polyethylene Terephthalate Fibres on Mechanical and Physical Properties of Cementitious Mortars

Abstract

Commodity plastics are being used in many applications due to their low density, high durability, and relatively low cost. Their wide usage and degradable nature create environmental problems. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is the one of most used plastics and the second largest contributor to the global plastic waste. The scientific literature suggests a global effort for utilizing PET waste in building materials including concrete, mortars, and cementitious composites, in the form of granules, powder or fibres. This study aims to contribute to the knowledge about the material behavior of Recycled PET Fibre Reinforced Mortars (RPFRMs) by investigating the influence of fibres on some physical and mechanical properties of a cementitious render mortar. Recycled-PET monofilaments with 0.45 mm diameter were chopped into fibres with 6 mm length. RPFRM mixtures with varying fibre volume fractions (0.5, 1.0 and 1.5%) were prepared and tested. The fresh properties were assessed by measuring the fresh density, and mean flow diameter. The influence of recycled PET fibres on the mechanical properties of render mortars were investigated using flexural strength and compressive strength. Furthermore, water absorption coefficient of the specimens was also measured for briefly investigating the influence of recycled-PET fibre addition on durability properties. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2024.