DECORATIVE COMPOSITE MATERIAL BASED ON WASTE RECYCLING OF CROSS-LINKED POLYETHYLENE AND BUILDING CERAMICS

The article presents a study of the operational properties of a decorative composite material based on waste from ceramic bricks and crosslinked polyethylene. It was found that the inclusion of aggregate from waste of cross-linked polyethylene in mixture reduces the spreadability and workability of the paste, which is associated with increased friction of particles in the mixture due to their irregular shape and rough surface. It was determined that the introduction of aggregate from waste of cross-linked polyethylene compared with mineral aggregate makes it possible to reduce the density of products (up to 1,700 kg/m3). It has been revealed that samples of a material with a polymer aggregate have significantly reduced compressive strength, while the destruction of the samples occurs more plastically, at the moment of peak load, the aggregate keeps the sample structure from complete destruction for some time. It is shown that the samples of the material with aggregate only from waste of crosslinked polyethylene have a significant shrinkage (more than 1.5 mm/m). This is due to the reduced modulus of elasticity of such aggregate, which, due to its low rigidity, cannot fully restrain the shrinkage deformations of cement stone. At the same time, in samples with a mixture of polymer and mineral aggregate in equal proportions, shrinkage is significantly reduced (0.8-0.9 mm/m). It was revealed that the samples of the material with aggregate from waste of crosslinked polyethylene have a high abrasion re-sistance. This effect is explained by the nature of cross-linked polyethylene, which, due to its three-dimensional structure and cross-links in polymer molecules, has high abrasion resistance. Using the dilatometric method, it was found that the samples of the synthesized material have a sufficiently high frost resistance (grade F300). Based on the conducted research, decorative products with a porphyry patterns have been produced and presented, which can be recommended for use as decorative floor, interior or paving tiles.