With the growth of global industry and consumption, we are facing increasing amounts of waste. With the depletion of natural resources, it becomes necessary to change the business model that has prevailed until now – of taking, producing, consuming and disposing – which is no longer in line with the principles of today's sustainable economy. To conserve the planet's resources and reduce negative environmental impacts, it is necessary to move to a circular economy, where waste becomes a valuable secondary source of raw materials.
One of the main directions of activity of the Vilnius Science and Innovation Centre (VMIC) UAB is the search for waste recycling and disposal opportunities. The company constantly conducts production tests with the aim of creating products that are technically competitive, made from the largest possible amount of recycled materials.
Particular attention is paid to the creation of building materials from waste that would otherwise be disposed of in landfills or incinerated, increasing air and water pollution. Recycling allows you to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, save energy and resources.
In order to objectively assess the properties of recycled composite materials, their results are compared with analogous materials made from natural resources – for example, dolomite. In this way, VMIC’s goal is to develop not only environmentally friendly, but also technically reliable solutions for the construction industry.
Bricks of the following compositions and dimensions were delivered to the KTU laboratory for research:
10% cement + 90% dolomite. The shape of the brick is LEGO. The dimensions of the brick are 250*125*88 mm. The purpose of the brick is construction. The text below is 10C90D.
10% cement + 50% dolomite + 40% Daugavpils power plant. The shape of the brick is LEGO. Brick dimensions 250*125*88 mm. The purpose of the brick is construction. The text below denotes 10C50D40P.
20% cement + 80% unwashed ENERGESMAN glass (fraction - up to 3 mm). The shape of the brick is full-bodied. Brick dimensions 250*125*88 mm. The purpose of the brick is construction. The text below is labeled 20C80S.
The tests were carried out by the Research Centre for Building Materials and Structures of Kaunas University of Technology (KTU SMKTC).
LST EN 772-1:2011+A1:2015; LST EN 772-11:2011+P:2014; LST EN 772-13:2003; LST EN 772-16:2011; LST EN 772-20:2000/A1:2005; LST 1428-17:2016.
Table. Product Characteristics Determination Summary
| Product → | 10C90D | 10C50D40P | 20C80S | Notes |
| Result of the study ↓ | ||||
| Dimensions, mm | Average dimensions of specimens 250*125*88 | Average dimensions of specimens 250*125*88 | Average dimensions of specimens 250*125*88 | Products are classified in category D4 according to LST EN 771-3:2011+A1:2015 |
| Determination of the plane of surfaces | Flatness of the side walls – 0.15-0.3; Plane of the laying surface – 0.1-0.3 | Plane of the side walls – 0.15-0.25; Plane of the laying surface – 0.1-0.25 | Plane of the side walls – 0.15-0.25; Plane of the laying surface – 0.1-0.2 | Surface plane deviations of bricks meet the requirements of the LST EN 771-3+A1:2005 standard |
| Gross density | 1780 | 1700 | 2020 | According to LST EN 772-13:2003 |
| Net density, kg/m3 | 2230 | 2150 | 2020 | According to LST EN 772-13:2003 |
| Compressive strength, MPa | 10.6 | 11.9 | 15.7 | According to LST EN 772-1:2011+A1:2015 |
| Capillary water absorption coefficient, g/(m2xs) | 8,8 | 3,1 | 1,6 | According to LST EN 772-11:2011+P:2014 |
| Water absorption, % | 6.7 | 5.1 | 3.8 | According to LST EN 772-11:2011+P:2014 |
| Frost resistance, cycles | 132 | 132 | 55 | According to LST 1428-17:2016 |
The data presented in the table show that the replacement of 40% of dolomite with biofuel combustion ash did not result in a deterioration in the properties, and some even improved, e.g. 10% higher strength and 60% lower water absorption.
Another objective of the study was to investigate the suitability of glass waste generated in the household for the production of masonry products. The sorted glass was washed and crushed to a fraction of 0-3 mm. The resulting product has a fairly high strength of 15.7 MPa and a low water absorption of 3.8%, but compared to the above-mentioned products, it has a lower frost resistance of 55 cycles.
It is important to note that VMIC has its own laboratory where detailed studies of the properties of products are carried out. One of the distinctive features of these tests is that they are not carried out with small-scale laboratory samples, as is common in many scientific studies, but with full-size products that are formed using production equipment. This allows for an objective assessment of the behaviour of materials under real conditions and ensures that the results of the research are directly applied in practice.
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