Recycling of these auto parts is still a pending issue, as the many landfills filled with old tires attest. In fact, up to 70% of tires in Europe alone are dumped in this type of deposit, so imaginative thinking is needed to find new ways to deal with this waste. But the most innovative and sustainable building materials no longer seem to be the future. The University of Sheffield, UK Technology project to embed old tire fiber fibers in concrete mix Improved fire resistance.
One of the characteristics of concrete is that when this type of material is exposed to the high temperatures of a fire, it initiates a process called spalling that compromises the structural integrity of the building. In order to prevent this, in recent years The use of propylene fibers is becoming an increasingly popular solution for concrete reinforcementHowever, in the past specially manufactured propylene was used, which is an energy intensive process. That’s why researchers at the University of Sheffield have devised a technology that can use recycled propylene from old tires. By using their technique, they are able to separate the propylene strands from the tire rubber and later spread them evenly throughout the concrete mix.According to results published in the journal Fire Technology: Used tire fibers are as efficient as manufactured propylenewhile the environmental and financial costs are significantly reduced.
Why does concrete crack in a fire?
Concrete always contains a certain amount of water, which when exposed to high temperatures evaporates and pushes the material outward, causing explosive failure. However, when propylene fiber is added, it remains dissolved. micro grooves for steam flowMost construction concrete is reinforced with steel. fire is spiral of destruction, because the steam pressure causes spalling of the concrete, exposing the underlying steel, which is further weakened by the high temperatures. This can damage the structure and lead to the collapse of the building.
Asphalt reinforced with tires…and plastic bottle caps
In addition to reinforcing concrete with propylene against fire, there are other projects Exploring the possibilities of this material Production of asphalt mixturebut by adding propylene from other sources than old tires. polymix project Conducted jointly with ACCIONA by the Spanish Institute of Plastics Technology. In the first test, we asphalted 1.5 miles of road using a propylene mixture obtained from used tire and bottle caps, polyethylene packaging and polystyrene hangers.
Eighteen months after the asphalt was installed, the developers of this technical project have proven that this material is what it offers. Improved high temperature resistance Less plastic deformation reduces road traffic. The main advantage that POLYMIX offers is the ability to integrate plastics from different sources to build roads with low environmental impact and high durability. The project won the Life 2015 award in the environment category at the EU Green Week in Brussels.
sauce: Science Daily, AIMPLAS
