Sustainable Use of Recycled Plastic and Coal Bottom Ash in the Development of Construction Material
Saley Mahamadou *
Ecole des Mines, de l’Industrie et de la Géologie (EMIG), BP 732, Niamey, Niger.
Abass Saley Abdoulatif
Ecole des Mines, de l’Industrie et de la Géologie (EMIG), BP 732, Niamey, Niger.
Kailou djibo Abdou
Ecole Africaine des Métiers de l’Architecture et de l’Urbanisme, BP 2067, Lomé, Togo.
Mahaman Lawali S. Nourou
Ecole des Mines, de l’Industrie et de la Géologie (EMIG), BP 732, Niamey, Niger.
Zakari Mahamadou Mounir
Laboratoire Écologie et Gestion de la Biodiversité Saharienne, Université André Salifou, BP 656, Zinder, Niger.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Mineral coal bottom ash (CBA) is a by-product of coal combustion in power plants. Its potential use in building materials has attracted interest due to its beneficial properties and environmental implications. The aim of this study is to assess the feasibility of using mineral coal slag from the Anou Araren coal company in Niger (Sonichar), in combination with plastic waste, in various construction applications. In this case, the focus is on compressive strength and slip potential for floor coverings. Following a technical characterization of the various elements involved in the production of the proposed material, 02 firing methods are described, with the advantages and disadvantages of each. Mixtures with varying proportions of plastic waste and bottom ash (30%/70%, 40%/70% and 50%/50%) were studied. For the mix selected, the results show that the CBA/plastic waste material has good compressive strength and low slip potential, making it suitable for use in a variety of construction applications.
Keywords: Coal bottom ash, plastic waste, recycling, environment, circular economy, Niger