Valorisation of gypsum boards with polyurethane waste to promote their circular economy
Alba Rodrigo-Bravo, Sara Pavía, Verónica Calderón-Carpintero, Lourdes Alameda Cuenca-Romero, Sara Gutiérrez González
Abstract
• The current recycling rate of gypsum from construction and demolition waste is well below its reuse potential. • A solution for recycling plasterboard waste is provided while avoiding the environmental footprint of a calcination treatment. • A composition is developed with gypsum-based binder type A and plasterboard waste with recycled polyurethane included. • The new gypsum mortar has a lower density than the control mix while maintaining mechanical strength. • The paper demonstrates the feasibility of valorizing waste from polyurethane gypsum ceiling tiles. The new European environmental policies for construction focus on sustainability, promoting energy efficiency, recyclable materials and circularity, with an emphasis on waste management. This study enhances gypsum board circularity by recycling polyurethane gypsum ceiling tiles waste into a new precast material for suspended and demountable ceilings. The process treats the waste as a whole, without separating the original raw materials: gypsum, polyurethane foam waste and fiberglass. The objective is to determine a gypsum mixture, incorporating the maximum amount of waste, with suitable mechanical properties, workability and consistency for industrial replication. The research studies the physical and mechanical properties of the new products. During the manufacturing phase of the new plasters, it is reported that citric acid needs to be added to the mixtures to ensure good workability and to delay the setting time. Without pre-calcination, gypsum mortars with recycled ceiling tile show a 7 to 10 % reduction in bulk density, compared to the reference plaster. Only two of the four samples tested meet the mechanical requirements, with strengths 35 and 60 % lower than those of the control mixture. Finally, the thermal conductivity of the innovative mortars is on average 16 % lower, improving the insulating properties of the material. The results conclude the feasibility of valorising polyurethane gypsum boards waste, promoting sustainable recycling practices.