Physico-Mechanical, Mineralogical and Thermal Characterization of Geopolymeric Laterite Bricks, Associated with the Powder of Polyethylene Terephtalate Bottles

Compressed earth blocks (CEBs) obtained by geopolymerization of laterite materials have great potential as building materials, on the other hand recycling plastic waste is an important battle that human being faces in the 21st century. Samples of lateritic materials from the locality of Kompina and its surroundings (Littoral-Cameroon), associated with polyethylene terephthalate powder were used to make geopolymeric laterite bricks, with a phosphoric acid solution concentrated at 10 mol/L. A fixed value of 20% of phosphoric acid, and values of 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20% of PET powder were used. CEBs were tested, their physico-mechanical and thermal characteristics were determined ; this includes water absorption rate, bulk density, compressive strength (CS), thermal conductivity and effusivity. It emerged that, the CS values increase (2.02 to 6.92 MPa for formulas of LAT1 and from 1.94 to 6.96 MPa for formulas of LAT6) as the incorporation of the PET powder increases up to 10%, and decrease beyond ; water absorption decreases (8.21 to 6.73% for LAT1 and 7.14% to 5.01% for LAT6) up to 10% and increases beyond ; thermal conductivity and effusivity decrease (0.913 to 0.289 W.m-1.K-1 and 1962.37 to 1078.46 J.K-1.m-2.s-1/2 for LAT1, 0.911 to 0.289 W.m-1.K-1 and 1961.9 to 1078.2 J.K-1.m-2.s-1/2 for LAT6). Conclusively, the formulation LAT+10%P+20%A is recommendable.