Recycling of Glass Fines and Plastics in Clay Bricks at Low Temperature Using Alkaline Activation

The research aims to develop a new blend of clay brick using recycled glass fines and recycled plastics in masonry bricks with varying percentages at low curing temperature. Alkaline activated solutions used in the research was sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and sodium silicate (Na2SiO3). Various percentages of alkaline activators (5%, 10%, 15%) have been initiated, while the suitable alkaline activator was set at 20%. Brick samples were placed in an oven at a heating temperature of 50°C for 24 hours (reduce the moisture content), followed by an increasing the heating temperature to 155°C for 48 hours. The previous findings demonstrated that the moisture curing for the sample was 50°C for 48 hours, and the heating temperature raised to 155°C for 24 hours. A series of laboratory testings for the brick samples such as compressive strength, water absorption, linear shrinkage, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) characterization for the brick were evaluated in this experiment. The curing conditions examined was 7 days and 28 days. The results from the experiment revealed that the relationship between water absorption and curing conditions satisfied the minimum requirement of masonry bricks using recycled glass fines and plastics. Highlights · The microstructural properties of the masonry brick using recycled materials as aggregates was explored. · Alkaline activated bricks showed durability and improve compressive strength. · The preparation of masonry activated bricks at low heating temperature is a challenging aspect.