EPS (expanded poliestyrene) recycled bends mixed with plaster or stucco, some applications in building industry

Abstract

This research project looks for to innovate in the management of expanded plastic materials wastes and to propose techniques that take advantage of the properties that those plastics still have at the time they are discarded to the urban wastes flow, such is the case of the expanded polystyrene wastes (EPS) which after being transformed in small particles and mixed with pastes made of standard gypsum and water in diverse proportions allows the production of different construction products. At the end of this paper two specific mixtures are described; the first useful for gypsum wallboard production, and the second one to manufacture a flat board for thermal isolation material. The EPS is a stiff cell plastic material produced from the molding of little spheres or pearls of expansible polystyrene that shows a closed structure made of this thermoplastic which contains trapped air in a 96-98% proportion of the volume of the pearls. Packaging is one of the main applications for this material hence EPS is a plenty waste in our society, it is also very popular in building construction where it is installed in air wall cameras and indoors covers; finally in a small proportion the plastic has other kind of applications like sport protections and commercial display.