Thermal Properties of Polymer Mortar Using Recycled PET and Fly Ash

Abstract

Recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET), mainly recovered from used plastic beverage bottles, can be chemically modified to produce unsaturated polyester resin. In turn, the polyester resin can be mixed with fly ash to produce polymer mortar (PM). PM made with recycled PET and fly ash can be utilized very effectively in construction applications. The use of the PM could help save energy and cost, and alleviate an environmental problem. The effect of the amount of fly ash on the glass transition temperature, degradation temperature, tensile peak strength, and tensile modulus of the PM has been extensively investigated. Models were also developed using multiple regression analysis to predict the strength and modulus of PM using various percentages of fly ash at various temperatures. This evaluation is not only important from the standpoint that resins based on recycled PET and fly ash fillers are being used, but also because very little research has been done in this area with virgin materials.