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Physico-mechanical characterization of eco-friendly gypsum composites incorporating shredded surgical face masks

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Abstract

The global pandemic triggered by COVID-19 significantly increased the use of personal protective equipment especially surgical face masks. Consequently, there has been a substantial environmental impact, with millions of these masks being discarded and polluting various areas such as beaches, oceans, and landfills. Surgical masks are made of materials like polypropylene and different other types of plastics that do not degrade entirely and can persist in the environment as micro-plastics for many years. To address this issue, it is essential to foster collaboration among various disciplines to effectively tackle the pandemic while simultaneously mitigating the environmental hazards associated with mask disposal. This study explores a novel approach of repurposing used disinfected face masks by incorporating them into gypsum in fiber form. The objective was to evaluate the physical and mechanical properties of composites and assess the flexural strength of composite false ceiling plates, aiming to assess their suitability as a construction product for the industry. For that purpose, shredded face mask (SFM) fibers were replaced with gypsum at three different percentages i.e. 1%, 2%, and 3% (by weight). In order to investigate the impact of fiber size, three aspect ratios i.e. 5mm × 20mm, 5mm × 40mm, and 5mm × 60mm were studied. As the dosage of SFM fibers increased, a decrease in density, ultrasonic pulse velocity and compressive strength was observed. In flexure, the cracking load decreased; however, after cracking, when mask fibers came into action, there was a significant improvement in post-peak behavior and ultimate load-carrying capacity. Furthermore, an increase in fiber dosage resulted in higher water absorption of composite prisms. On the contrary, increasing the aspect ratio of the SFM fibers resulted in a slight increase in mechanical properties (flexural strength and compressive strength), density, capillary water absorption, and ultrasonic pulse velocity. However, the 24-h water absorption showed an opposite trend and slightly decreased. All composite prisms satisfied the minimum 1 MPa and 2 MPa limits specified by BS EN 13279-2-2014 standard in flexure and compression tests respectively. The flexural strength of composite false ceiling plates decreased (up to 41.7%) however, the post-peak behavior showed a significant improvement. Additionally, all tested false ceiling plates fulfilled the 6 kg mid-span load criteria specified by UNE-EN 14246-2006 standard. After analyzing the experimental results and taking into account factors such as ease of mixing, placement, and finishing, the optimal recommendation for plate manufacturing is to use a 2% fiber replacement with a 5mm × 40mm aspect ratio of SFM fibers. The cost comparison revealed a marginal cost difference between the conventional plate and composite plates, highlighting the composite product’s suitability for mass production.

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Acknowledgements

The authors greatly acknowledge the efforts of Dr. Ayesha Javed for generously providing the waste face masks necessary for conducting this study and Rana False Ceiling Company for their assistance in the casting process.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil Engineering, University of Engineering & Technology, Lahore, 54890, Pakistan

    Muhammad Hassan Javed, Muhammad Rizwan Riaz, Rizwan Azam & Muhammad Kashif

  2. Department of Architectural Engineering and Design, University of Engineering & Technology, Lahore, 54890, Pakistan

    Anam Fatima

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  1. Muhammad Hassan Javed
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Contributions

Conceptualization, Muhammad Rizwan Riaz; Data curation, Muhammad Hassan Javed and Muhammad Kashif; Formal analysis, Muhammad Hassan Javed; Investigation, Muhammad Hassan Javed and Anam Fatima; Methodology, Muhammad Hassan Javed and Anam Fatima; Project administration, Muhammad Rizwan Riaz; Software, Muhammad Kashif; Supervision, Muhammad Rizwan Riaz and Rizwan Azam; Validation, Anam Fatima; Writing – original draft, Muhammad Hassan Javed and Muhammad Kashif; Writing – review & editing, Muhammad Rizwan Riaz and Rizwan Azam.

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Correspondence to Rizwan Azam.

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Javed, M.H., Riaz, M.R., Azam, R. et al. Physico-mechanical characterization of eco-friendly gypsum composites incorporating shredded surgical face masks. Innov. Infrastruct. Solut. 9, 186 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41062-024-01509-2

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