Utilizing the High-Density Polyethylene Waste in Mosaic floor Tiles as a Partial Replacement for Marble Aggregate

Abstract

This research aimed to evaluate the use of recycled high-density polyethylene (HDPE) waste as a partial replacement for natural marble aggregate in the manufacture of mosaic floor tiles. A laboratory study was conducted involving the preparation of four concrete mixes for the floor tiles: a reference mix (free of HDPE) and three mixes with volumetric replacement percentages of 10%, 20%, and 30% HDPE. Mechanical and physical tests were performed on the samples after 7 days of curing, including flexural strength, abrasion resistance, water absorption, and density. The results showed that the addition of polyethylene led to a gradual decrease in flexural strength with increasing substitution percentage. The reference mix recorded a flexural strength of 7.02 MPa, compared to 6.28 MPa for the mix containing 30% polyethylene. However, the increase contributed to improving the cracking behavior and increasing the flexibility of the samples under loads. Conversely, abrasion resistance improved significantly, with thickness loss decreasing from 0.046 mm in the reference sample to 0.016 mm in the sample containing 30% polyethylene. A decrease in overall density was observed with increasing polyethylene content, contributing to a reduction in tile weight. Absorption decreased to 7.11% with a 30% increase in the HDPE content, compared to 7.43% for the reference mix. All samples-maintained absorption levels within acceptable limits (less than 10%). The study concluded that using up to 20% HDPE waste offers a promising solution for achieving environmental sustainability, reducing weight, and improving the abrasion resistance of floor tiles.