(Determination of physical and mechanical properties of recycled gypsum from the plasterboard sheets)

Abstract

The search for technical and economic feasibility of waste recycling in the production chain of construction meets the new requirements of the sector to promote an integrated economic growth to social and environmental needs. The increasing consumption of plasterboard sheets brings along the problem of generation of gypsum waste, where the lack of research and incorrect disposal can result in the discharge of generated waste to landfills or irregular dumps, in most cases, without control or estimate of volume. In this work, using a recycling process comprised of grinding and calcining the residue of plasterboard sheets, the physical and mechanical properties of recycled gypsum from the drywall sheets were determined. The results showed the feasibility of recycling because after rehydration it was possible to mold solid specimens using only the gypsum waste, demonstrating that it is possible to recycle a product that today is merely discarded in the environment.

Keywords:
recycling; plaster; plasterboard sheets; gypsum