Title:
Prepublished: Study of Optimized Mechanical Properties in Sustainable Geopolymer Mortar with Tire Waste
Author(s):
Rondinele A. R. Ferreira, Cristiane Pires, Leonardo S. Gratão, Leila A. C. Motta
Publication:
Materials Journal
Volume:
Issue:
Appears on pages(s):
Keywords:
central composite design; ecological composites; geopolymer mortar; metakaolin; tire rubber
DOI:
10.14359/51746717
Date:
3/24/2025
Abstract:
The rapid growth of population, consumption, and economy stimulates the extraction of natural resources at an accelerated rate, directly impacting the environment by generating waste and CO2 emissions, primarily in the civil construction industry. This research investigates the use of untreated tire waste rubber as a replacement for fine aggregate (sand) in geopolymer mortar, in response to environmental concerns from the civil construction industry. The study uses a Central Composite Design and Response Surface Methodology to optimize the modulus of rupture, modulus of elasticity, and toughness. With a global desirability of 0.73, the optimized values for these variables were 2.85 MPa, 676.3 MPa, and 0.331 kJ/m2, respectively, with experimental errors below 10%. The results suggest that tire waste rubber can effectively replace fine aggregate in geopolymer mortar, potentially reducing environmental impact.