JOURNAL OF POLYMER ENGINEERING

 Vol. 23, No. 5, 2003, page 369

Basic Properties of New Polymer Mortars Using Waste Expanded Polystyrene Solution-Based Binders

 Nakwoon Choi¹ and Yoshihiko Ohama²

 ¹Graduate School of Engineering, Nihon University

Koriyama, Fukushima-ken, 963-8642 Japan

e-mail:cnw71@hotmail.com

²College of Engineering, Nihon University

Koriyama, Fukushima-ken, 963-8642 Japan

e-mail:ohama@arch.ce.nihon-u.ac.jp

 ABSTRACT

            The purpose of this investigation is to develop new polymer mortars using waste expanded polystyrene (EPS) solution-based binders as an effective recycling method for the waste EPS. EPS solutions are prepared by dissolving a preformed cellular polystyrene thermal insulating material as a model of the waste EPS in styrene. Polymer mortars using EPS solution-based binders, ground calcium carbonate as a filler and silica sand as a fine aggregate are prepared with various EPS concentrations of EPS solutions and crosslinking agent contents, subjected to a dry curing and a dry/heat curing, and tested for working life, flexural and compressive strengths. As a result, the working lives of EPS solution-based binders and polymer mortars are shortened with raising EPS concentration of EPS solutions and crosslinking agent content. Irrespective of curing conditions, the flexural and compressive strengths of the polymer mortars are increased with increasing EPS concentration of EPS solutions and crosslinking agent content except for an EPS concentration of 40%. 

  Keywords: waste expanded polystyrene, styrene, crosslinking agent, polymer mortar, strength

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