Revista de Ciências e Engenharia de Materiais

A Pilot Recycling of Plastic Pure Water Sachets/Bottles into Composite Floor Tiles: A Case Study from Selected Dumping Site in Ogbomoso

Abstract

Temitope AK, Abayomi OO, Ruth AO and Adeola AP

The adverse effect associated with the surge in uses of non-biodegradable plastic products include the blockage of drains, suffocating some animal life, who accidentally take them as food, grounds impermeable to water and several other hazards. The need then arises to finding a safe means converting these plastic waste products into other useful and harmless items. The method adopted involves the collection of the plastic materials from trenches, drainages, streets, dump sites and from eateries around Ogbomoso metropolis. These were sorted and washed before the Shredding Process was carried. Melting of the Shredded Plastics and poured into a dimensioned wooden mould and Cured for some days. It could be shown from the crushing test that the conventional tiles fail under slight heavier loads of 34 kN as comparable to the 29 kN failure load of the composite tiles. However the water absorption test has no effect on both the conventional and the composite tiles respectively. Furthermore, the flammability test carried out on the conventional tiles shows a slight change as compared to the composite tiles which split under the effect of flame. Moreover the composite tiles recorded a higher value than that of the conventional tiles. The tests show that the composite floor tiles are cheaper, durable, and affordable as compared to the ceramic tile. Hence, the performances of the composite floor tiles though are a little less than that of the commercial ceramic floor tiles yet appear a reasonably good substitute at more reasonable rate.