Performance Characterisation of a New Plaster Composite Lightened with End-of-Life Tyres' Recycled Materials for...

Plaster is one of the most used and studied materials in the building process. This paper shows the result of the characterisation of a new plaster-based material enlightened and reinforced with polymers and end-of-life tyres' recycled materials. As far as end-of-life tyres are a common waste item, this paper offers new recycling possibilities, as well as significant improvements in new building materials. Mechanical, thermal conductivity, sound absorption, fire reaction and environmental impact are studied and analysed. Three different end-of-life tyres' recycled materials are used, two size rubber and textile fibres. A significant density reduction up to 17% was achieved mainly due to end-of-life materials lower density. Two thermal conductivity measurement methods, heat flux meter and guarded hot plate, were conducted and then compared. A 20% improvement with respect to the reference was achieved in those samples with textile fibre. The two methods' measurements got a 1% difference in all samples analysed except textile fibre. Thus, this allowed to validate these methods and assure these measurements. Sound absorption was also measured. These materials reached α = 0.32 in high frequencies. Performance in low frequencies were lower. Fire tests led to no ignition results and no fire propagation. Finally, a basic global warming potential impact study based on environmental product declaration (EPD) is conducted. The most relevant result of this study is the potential 20-34% reduction of CO₂ emissions with the elaboration of these composites.