Waste glass improves insulating properties of concrete
Waste glass could find use in 3D-printed buildings after researchers demonstrated that concrete made with ground-up glass has better insulating properties than more traditional concrete mixes.
The researchers found that when they gradually replaced a conventional aggregate traditionally found in concrete with waste glass, the thermal conductivity of the concrete went down. The results could prove timely to those interested in 3D printing in construction and aiming to prove the technology with better insulated, more environmentally-friendly buildings.
“Although much of our waste glass can be recycled to produce new glass products, a big quantity is still being sent to landfill,” said Dr Seyed Ghaffar, lead of the Additive Manufacturing Technology in Construction Research Group at Brunel University London. “So, to reduce the waste glass that is sent to landfill, different recycling strategies need to be investigated.”
Dr Ghaffar believes the construction industry could be one potential destination for the unrecycled glass, a partial substitute for the vast quantities of natural sand that is currently being used to meet global demand for concrete.
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