The Disposable diapers already used they can have a second life, with a use far removed from the original. A group of scientists has shown that they could replace part of the sand for the concrete and mortar needed to build a low-cost house.
The proof is a 36-square-meter, tall house built according to research by a team led by Siswanti Zuraida, from Kitakyushu University in Japan, says a study published by Scientific Reports.
The investigation shows that up to 8% of the grit for concrete and mortar could be replaced by shredded used disposable diapers without significantly decreasing its endurance. An alternative to Construction materials low-cost housing in low- and middle-income countries.
Disposable diapers are often made from wood pulpcotton, viscose rayon, and plastics such as polyester, polyethylene, and polypropylene, and most are disposed of in landfills or through incineration.
The researchers prepared samples of concrete and mortar combining washed, dried and shredded disposable diaper waste with cement, sand, gravel and water, which were left to cure for 28 days.
They then tested six samples containing different proportions of waste of diapers to measure how much pressure they could take without tearing.
The next step was to calculate the maximum ratio of sand that could be replaced by disposable nappies in a number of materials that would be needed for a 36 square meter house that met Indonesian building standards.
He result was that diaper waste could replace up to 10% of the sand needed for the concrete used to form columns and beams in a three-story house.
That ratio increased to 27 percent of the sand needed to columns and beams of concrete in a single-story house, the publication notes.
Up to 40 percent of the sand needed for the mortar in the walls Dividers can be replaced with disposable diapers, compared to 9% of the sand in mortar for floors and garden pavers.
Taken together, up to 8% of the sand in all concrete and mortar building materials for a 36-square-meter house can be replaced with waste of disposable diapers, which is equivalent to 1.7 cubic meters of waste.
The authors point out that a application The broader scope of their findings would require the involvement of stakeholders in governments and waste treatment to develop processes for large-scale collection, sanitation, and disposal. trituration diaper waste.
In addition, the regulations construction sites would have to be modified to allow the use of diaper waste as a construction material.