MELTED PLASTIC BOTTLES SEDIMENTS AS AN ADDITIVE

FOR A MORE DURABLE HOLLOW BLOCK

A Research Paper

Presented to

Dr. Jocelyn O. Callet

Subject Adviser

And

Teachers of Ramon Teves Pastor Memorial - Dumaguete Science High School

(RTPM-DSHS), Dumagute City

In Partial Fulfillment

Of the Requirements for the Subject

Research Project/Capstone

By

Belonghilot, Hans Jasper T.

Calibo, Chris Allen R.

Ensertado, Francis Angel Keith

Olasiman, Christine Therese D.

Trasmonte, Ma. Kiedis B.

March 2020

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 Acknowledgement
We, the researchers, would like to express our deepest gratitude to the following

people who’s been with us in the process of this research paper:

Our subject teacher, Maam Callet, for the continuous support, instilling knowledge

that are essential for our research and for guiding the researchers throughout the process

by sharing advises and tips from past experiences related to the field;

Our parents, for supporting us in any way possible, be that morally or financially in

all our endeavors. The researchers would like to thank them for keeping us on the right

track despite uncountable obstacles faced each day;

To our classmates, who showed great camaraderie and helped everyone by imparting

their knowledge and ideas to make the research process easier;

and last but not the least, to the Almighty Father, for imparting us strength,

guidance, and presence of mind throughout the process of the research.

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 Dumaguete City Division
Ramon Teves Pastor Memorial
Dumaguete Science High School

Table of Contents

Page

Title Page i
Abstract ii
Acknowledgement iii
Table of Contents iv

Chapter I THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE 1

Introduction 1
Background of the Study 2
Statement of the Problem 3
Significance of the Study 4
Scope and Delimitation of the Study 5
Review of Related Literature 5

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 10
Research Design 10

GENERAL PROCEDURE 11

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 Dumaguete City Division
Ramon Teves Pastor Memorial
Dumaguete Science High School
 Dumaguete City Division
Ramon Teves Pastor Memorial
Dumaguete Science High School

CHAPTER I

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE

Introduction

Hollow blocks have been used ever since history being the base for most human

structures up until this day, hollow blocks are made by mixing sand and cement and

putting in a mold to form its shape that most people know. Hollow blocks today are

mostly brittle and are easily broken using blunt force.

In present time, plastic waste has been a major environmental issue. Here in the

Philippines, researchers, scientists, and volunteers have come up with different ways on

how to manage and or control rapid increase in plastic waste. The researchers have come

up with another solution to lessen the waste mass by incorporating into basic

infrastructure materials

Eco- blocks is an innovative way to incorporate plastic waste into building materials

and the stronger alternative to ordinary cemented blocks. This way we can reuse plastic

bottles to maximize its potential and to make it the major component of making our Eco-

blocks. The researchers envision the increasing durability of our structures and

decreasing load of our plastic waste to the environment. The researchers also aim to test

if Eco- blocks would have better durability than normal blocks used in most buildings.

The researchers will undergo different experiments to achieve the specific durability

of the Eco- blocks. The researchers are looking forward to improve the purpose of plastic

bottles and enhance the quality of hollow blocks in the present time.
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Dumaguete Science High School

Background of the Study

Industrial materials like cement, clay and the like has been used for many centuries

as materials for building foundations for homes, to tools to infrastructures we see today.

After many years, these materials are still known to be one of the best materials when it

comes to industrial use and that's why the people have managed to reproduce amazing

innovations to further improve the durability, and sustainability of such.

Hollow blocks are simply made out of mostly cement and water which were formed

into blocks that are commonly used for building infrastructures. It has been an industrial

trademark that hollow blocks are the only go-to material. Although hollow blocks are

given the great amount of responsibility in creating foundations and walls of a home or a

building, these do not guarantee a long-term durability rate. Hollow blocks are somewhat

'brittle' when it ages and can easily be destructed by strong calamities or by force. This is

one of the few lapses researchers fail to find.

Plastic on the other hand is another problem our planet is facing; majority of the

planet's waste is from plastic production. Plastic is a material known for its

"indestructibility" — it could take generations to deteriorate any plastic material which

therefore caused an epidemic to the Earth knowing that humans create tons of plastic

waste every year that could cause the deaths of thousands, if not millions of lives of the

flora and fauna. There are numerous events, programs and even movements to help

reduce the production of plastic waste and we the researchers decided to impart in this by

creating "Eco-blocks".
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Eco-blocks are hollow blocks that are mixed with micro plastic or plastic waste to

create a much more durable building material. This enables people to build stronger

foundations in buildings or in homes while also reducing the percentage of plastic waste

in our planet. Through this innovation, the researchers believe that they can help create

much stronger and sustainable infrastructures that could prevent any accidents and could

lessen future costs while also contributing to the minimization of plastic waste in our

planet.

Statement of the Problem

Hollow blocks have been an industrial trademark in building infrastructures but one

of the apparent lapses is the durability and sustainability of the aforementioned. Would

adding or mixing plastic waste with the ingredients to create hollow blocks be an

effective way in improving the durability and sustainability of the hollow blocks?
 Dumaguete City Division
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Dumaguete Science High School

Significance of the Study

This study aims to benefit the following:

Student

In this study, the students will Identify the use of scientific research and how to

follow such process within this type of research.

Parents

With this research study, the parents will be aware of such scientific research

procedures and will be able to give guidance to their children.

Teachers

The teachers can also gain significance in this study. They would assess the needs

of the students and compare and contrast with the different kinds of scientific research.

Future Researchers

This study may serve as their guidance to gather information and it may serve

them as a building blocks to have a bigger study.

Researchers

By this study, the researchers would improve their skill, strategy, and knowledge

in engaging scientific research.

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Dumaguete Science High School

Scopes and Limitation

This study is primarily focused on improving the quality of commercial blocks

sold in local construction supply producers. Simultaneously, the researchers’ goal to

lessen the plastic wastes in our local community and also benefit to the rest of the world

in fighting against the fast raging accumulation of plastic wastes in landfills. Aside from

reusing the plastic waste and reducing the percentage of waste production throughout the

planet, the researchers’ main goal is the increases percentage of improving the durability

and sustainability of the hollow blocks.

This process is very easy and accessible to make knowing that plastic can be seen

almost everywhere nowadays and mixing it to hollow blocks does not require that much

strenuous work. Although given these advantages are also lapses that come along with it.

The limitations that the researchers face is time. Although creating blocks are easy, we

need to observe them for a long period of time to actually confirm that Eco-blocks are

much more effective than ordinary building hollow blocks. But aside from that concern,

the researchers plan to make other alternative test to prove eco-blocks’ strength and

durability by using drop tests and the like.

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Dumaguete Science High School

Review of Related Literature

Plastic waste is silent threat to the environment and their disposal is a serious

issue for waste managers. Now a day society does not have any alternative to plastic

products like plastic bags, plastic bottles, and plastic sheets etc. In spite of all efforts

made to limit its use but unfortunately its utility is increasing day by day. To circumvent

this issue many efforts were made in the past to reuse the plastic waste but no significant

results were achieved. On contrary concrete being the widely used construction material

is facing problem due to unavailability of construction material (Cement, sand and coarse

aggregate). Various attempts were made through experimentation to check the feasibility

of plastic waste to be use partially in concrete with respect to various properties of

strength, workability, durability and ductility of concrete. This paper includes review of

various studies conducted on utility of waste plastic material used in the concrete.

Moreover, this paper will draw our focus toward the impingement on the various

properties of concrete when partially replacing with waste plastic.

Plastics are durable and degrade very slowly; the molecular bonds that make

plastic so durable make it equally resistant to natural processes of degradation. Since the

1950s, one billion tons of plastic have been discarded and may persist for hundreds or

even thousands of years. In some cases, burning plastic can release toxic fumes. Burning

the plastic polyvinyl chloride (PVC) may create dioxin. Also, the manufacturing of

plastics often creates large quantities of chemical pollutants. Prior to the ban on the use

of CFCs in extrusion of polystyrene (and general use, except in life-critical fire

 Dumaguete City Division
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Dumaguete Science High School

suppression systems), the production of polystyrene contributed to the depletion of the

ozone layer; however, non-CFCs are currently used in the extrusion process. [6] By

1995, plastic recycling programs were common in the United States and elsewhere.

Thermoplastics can be melted again and reused, and thermoset plastics can be ground up

and used as filler, though the purity of the material tends to degrade with each reuse

cycle. There are methods by which plastics can be broken back down to a feedstock

state. Plastic can be converted as a fuel. Plastic is made from crude oil, so it can be

broken down to liquid hydrocarbon. One kilogram of waste plastic produces a liter of

hydrocarbon. Plastic wastes are used in cement plants as a fuel.

There are two basic molding methods for PET bottles, one-step and two-step. In

two-step molding, two separate machines are used. The first machine injection molds the

preform, which resembles a test tube, with the bottle-cap threads already molded into

place. The body of the tube is significantly thicker, as it will be inflated into its final

shape in the second step using stretch blow molding. In the second step, the preforms are

heated rapidly and then inflated against a two-part mold to form them into the final shape

of the bottle. Preforms (uninflated bottles) are now also used as containers for candy, and

by some Red Cross chapters to distribute to homeowners to store medical history for

emergency responders. In one-step machines, the entire process from raw material to

finished container is conducted within one machine, making it especially suitable for

molding non-standard shapes (custom molding), including jars, flat oval, flask shapes

etc. Its greatest merit is the reduction in space, product handling and energy, and far

higher visual quality than can be achieved by the two-step system.

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A plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic

solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of

high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or

reduce production costs. Monomers of plastic are either natural or synthetic organic

compounds.

It refers to their malleability, or plasticity during manufacture, that allows them to

be cast, pressed, or extruded into a variety of shapes—such as films, fibers, plates, tubes,

bottles, boxes, and much more.

This was traced back to 1868, when a young printer named John Wesley Hyatt from

the United States came up with Celluloid, the first American plastic. He mixed

pyroxylin, made from cotton (one of nature's polymerics), and nitric acid, with camphor

to create an entirely different and new product. Celluloid quickly moved into many

markets. The material is still in use today under its chemical name, cellulose nitrate that

were also used in materials like photographic film

Today’s most widely used plastic (Polyethylene) evolved out of the need for a

superior insulating material that could be used for such applications as radar cable during

World War II. The thermoset polyester resins that only a decade or so later was to

radically change the boat-building business in the United States were also a wartime

development introduced for military use. And acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene plastics, or

ABS, (the plastic most often used today in appliance housings, refrigerator linens, safety

helmets, pipe, telephone headsets, and luggage) owes its origins to research work
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emanating from the crash wartime program aimed at producing large quantities of

synthetic rubber.

Due to their relatively low cost, ease of manufacture, versatility, and

imperviousness to water, plastics are used in an enormous and expanding range of

products, from paper clips to spaceships. They have already displaced many traditional

materials, such as wood, stone, paper, glass and ceramic, in most of their former uses.

Polyethylene

Polyethylene is a thermoplastic polymer with variable crystalline structure and an

extremely large range of applications depending on the particular type. It is one of the

most widely produced plastics in the world (Rogers, 2015).

Polyethylene is commonly know for being a thermoplastic polymer resin of

terephthalic acid and ethylene glycole (A thermoplastic, also known as thermo-softening

plastic, is a polymer that turns to a liquid when heated and freezes to a very glassy state

when cooled sufficiently) PET is a strong, rigid and light material. PET physical

properties make it an ideal substance for using in various fields, such as production of

packing (bottles, cortexes, etc.), film, constructions elements, PET is also used in

synthetic fibers; beverage, food and other liquid containers; thermoforming applications;

and engineering resins often in combination with glass fiber. The term 'polyethylene

terephthalate' is a source of confusion because this substance, PET, does not contain

polyethylene. Thus, the alternate form, ‘poly(ethylene terephthalate)' is often used in

scholarly journals for the sake of accuracy and clarity.

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There is a vast array of applications for polyethylene in which certain types are

more or less well suited. Generally speaking, High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) is

much more crystalline, has a much higher density, and is often used in completely

different circumstances than Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE). For example, LDPE is

widely used in plastic packaging such as for grocery bags or plastic wrap. HDPE by

contrast has common applications in construction (for example in its use as a drain pipe).

Ultrahigh Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMW) has high performance applications

in things such as medical devices and bulletproof vests.

Advantages of PET includes providing very good alcohol and essential oil barrier

properties, generally good chemical resistance (although acetones and ketones will attack

PET) and a high degree of impact resistance and tensile strength. The orienting process

serves to improve gas and moisture barrier properties and impact strength. This material

does not provide resistance to high temperature applications—maximum temperature

160 °F (71 °C).

Generally, PET offers numerous advantages because it is easily moldable and thus

allows production of individual bottle shapes, specifically designed as non-returnable

items. Further advantages for the consumer are its stability, lightweight, inexpensive and

shatter-resistant. In addition, bottles can be made completely from PET, which simplifies

recycling considerably.
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Dumaguete Science High School

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research Design

This research is employed to follow an experimental approach. This enables the use

of different variables and environmental conditions as data in providing answers over a

methodical way. It allows the researchers to prove the hypothesis in the study (insert

title).

Materials / Equipment

- Plastic Bottles

- Cement

- __ ml Water

- Cement Mold

- __ L Gasoline

- Mortar and Pestle

GENERAL PROCEDURES

A. Preparation of Plastic Sediments

Pre-heat 500 mL of gasoline until boiling. Submerge plastic bottles carefully and let it

remain submerged for 3-5 minutes. Extract melted pieces from the boiling gasoline.

Proceed to pulverize the pieces using the mortar and pestle until grains become roughly 1

mm in diameter.
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B. Plastic with and without Cement Mixture

Mix the plastic sediment and commercial cement in ratios: 1:2, 1:3, and 1:5 but an

unmixed commercial style hollow block as a control. One hundred mL of water is to be

mixed although out the different trails. The trials are then molded into a cement mold and

be left dried overnight.

C. Physical Test

The products will undergo 3 tests of 3 trials each – stress test, water resistance test, and

drop test, with each test testing different attributes of each product. The stress test will

deal with the weight capacity of the hollow blocks. Water resistance test will deal with

how much the product abstain from the influence of water in their form and shape. The

drop test will test the durability of the cement block when fell freely from a certain

height.

D. Analysis

The results are analyzed individually through observation. The results between cement

blocks with and without plastic and cement mixture after testing will be compared.