Recycling of Rubber and Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) to Produce Ecological Bricks in Peru

According to the World Economic Forum, (2016) 95 % of the material value of plastic packaging is lost (80 to 120 billion dollars), with the global recycling rate being 14 %, then there is a problem of exorbitant dimensions, To such an extent that for the, by the year 2050, it is estimated that 99 % of seabirds will ingest this material, also in the ocean there will be more plastic than fish. One type of plastic waste is discarded tires after their useful life. The present investigation had the objective of manufacturing ecological bricks incorporating in its structure rubber (R) and Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) which are plastic components of used tires, to partially replace conventional aggregates in the manufacture of bricks. In the process, the specifications of these bricks are compared with the physical and mechanical characteristics indicated in standard E. 0.70 of the Ministry of Housing, Construction, and Sanitation (MVCS). Manufacturing was tested with doses of 12 %, 24 %, and 36 % of R and PET together with cement and silica in the mixture, obtaining average compressive strength mechanical values of 174.71 kg/cm2, 134.02 kg/cm2, and 71 kg/cm2 for the indicated compositions, which classifies it as type V, type IV, and type III bricks respectively (NTP 399.604 and NTP 399.613). The most optimal dose was 12 % R and PET, 50 % cement, and 25 % silica, which corresponds to type V brick. This use of waste is done within the concept of circular economy in the life cycle of the materials.