Post by account_disabled on Feb 27, 2024 2:27:11 GMT -5
Stronger concrete with recycled materials from used gloves and masks.
The use of single-use nitrile gloves and masks has been increasing sharply since the Coronavirus pandemic began at the end of This led to a significant increase in the generation of this clinical waste that requires various recycling solutions . to reduce its environmental impact from disposal or incineration, to converting it into recycled materials.
Engineers at RMIT University in Melbourne are using disposable personal protective equipment (PPE) to strengthen concrete, providing an innovative way to significantly reduce waste generated by the pandemic.
Researchers have not been afraid to be creative in developing new recycled concrete -based materials . For inspiration, they used everything from tires and lobster shells to other types of waste. Last year, RMIT researchers also demonstrated how disposable face masks could be recycled into stronger concrete aggregates for road layers.
This time, the scientists decided to make it concrete by incorporating other waste generated after the coronavirus pandemic. According to researchers, it is estimated that an average of , tonnes of PPE waste is produced worldwide every day, and around billion disposable masks are discarded worldwide each month. Their research may have opened up a new way to give these ma Brazil Mobile Number List terials a second life by turning them into recycled materials.
In three separate feasibility studies, the RMIT team first shredded disposable face masks, rubber gloves and isolation gowns and then incorporated them into concrete at various volumes, between % and %. Rubber gloves increased compression resistance by up to %, while face masks increased compression resistance by up to %. Meanwhile, isolation gowns increased flexural tensile strength by up to %, compressive strength by %, and elasticity by %.
“We have all seen disposable masks littering our streets, but even when this waste is disposed of properly, it all ends up in a landfill,” said Professor Jie Li, corresponding author and leader of the research team. “With a circular economy approach, we could keep that waste out of landfill while squeezing the full value out of these materials to create better products; It is a victory on all fronts.”
Researchers now plan to evaluate the potential for mixing PPE streams, develop practical implementation strategies, and work toward field testing. The team is keen to collaborate with the healthcare and construction industries to further develop the research.
“While our research is in the early stages, these promising initial findings are an important step toward developing effective recycling systems to keep disposable PPE waste out of landfill,” said joint lead author Dr. Rajeev. Roychand.
The three studies are published in the journals Case Studies in Construction Materials, Science of the Total Environment and Journal of Cleaner Production.
The use of single-use nitrile gloves and masks has been increasing sharply since the Coronavirus pandemic began at the end of This led to a significant increase in the generation of this clinical waste that requires various recycling solutions . to reduce its environmental impact from disposal or incineration, to converting it into recycled materials.
Engineers at RMIT University in Melbourne are using disposable personal protective equipment (PPE) to strengthen concrete, providing an innovative way to significantly reduce waste generated by the pandemic.
Researchers have not been afraid to be creative in developing new recycled concrete -based materials . For inspiration, they used everything from tires and lobster shells to other types of waste. Last year, RMIT researchers also demonstrated how disposable face masks could be recycled into stronger concrete aggregates for road layers.
This time, the scientists decided to make it concrete by incorporating other waste generated after the coronavirus pandemic. According to researchers, it is estimated that an average of , tonnes of PPE waste is produced worldwide every day, and around billion disposable masks are discarded worldwide each month. Their research may have opened up a new way to give these ma Brazil Mobile Number List terials a second life by turning them into recycled materials.
In three separate feasibility studies, the RMIT team first shredded disposable face masks, rubber gloves and isolation gowns and then incorporated them into concrete at various volumes, between % and %. Rubber gloves increased compression resistance by up to %, while face masks increased compression resistance by up to %. Meanwhile, isolation gowns increased flexural tensile strength by up to %, compressive strength by %, and elasticity by %.
“We have all seen disposable masks littering our streets, but even when this waste is disposed of properly, it all ends up in a landfill,” said Professor Jie Li, corresponding author and leader of the research team. “With a circular economy approach, we could keep that waste out of landfill while squeezing the full value out of these materials to create better products; It is a victory on all fronts.”
Researchers now plan to evaluate the potential for mixing PPE streams, develop practical implementation strategies, and work toward field testing. The team is keen to collaborate with the healthcare and construction industries to further develop the research.
“While our research is in the early stages, these promising initial findings are an important step toward developing effective recycling systems to keep disposable PPE waste out of landfill,” said joint lead author Dr. Rajeev. Roychand.
The three studies are published in the journals Case Studies in Construction Materials, Science of the Total Environment and Journal of Cleaner Production.