Physical and Mechanical Properties of Mortar Containing Marine Waste for Product Development
10.14416/j.ind.tech.2025.08.003
Keywords:
Marine waste, Plastic, Microstructure, Circular economyAbstract
This paper presents the physical and mechanical properties of mortar mixed with marine waste for product development. Marine debris was collected from coastal areas, and only plastic bottles were selected and crushed using a grinding machine. The cement-to-stone dust ratio was fixed at 1:4 by weight, with crushed plastic waste added at 3%, 6%, and 9% by total weight. The water-to-cement ratio was maintained at 0.4. The unit weight, water absorption, porosity, compressive strength, and microstructural analysis using a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) were tested. The most suitable mixture ratio was then used to form a prototype product. The study found that the unit weight of cement mortar decreased as the replacement level of crushed plastic waste increased. The incorporation of crushed plastic waste also led to higher water absorption and porosity with increasing plastic content. Using 6% crushed plastic waste by total weight in the cement mortar and stone dust mixture proved suitable for producing plant pots. This utilization of marine plastic waste to develop sustainable products promotes a circular economy and helps mitigate environmental impacts.
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