COMPOSITE-MATERIAL FROM FLY-ASH AND POSTCONSUMER PET

Fly ash from a coal-fired power plant was combined with post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate (PET) from a municipal solid waste (MSW) la ndfill to produce a molded composite material. Fly ash content varied from 0 to 50% by weight. Properties of compressive strength, water abs orption and density of the products were tested. It was concluded that fly ash reduces the thermal decomposition of PET; expedites the melti ng and mixing of PET, reduces the shrinkage of the material during the molding process and improves the properties of the final product. The compressive strength was far above standards for building materials. The addition of Ay ash increased the compressive strength by 31-53%. W ater absorption was negligible for all the specimens. The micro-struct ure and bonding mechanism were investigated by scanning electron micro scopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. (C) 1998 Elsevier Sc ience B.V. All rights reserved.