Materials Today: Proceedings 42 (2021) 444–449

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Materials Today: Proceedings

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Utilization of PET bottles and plastic granules in geopolymer concrete

A. Chithambar Ganesh ⇑, N. Deepak, V. Deepak, Sidhu Ajay, Arun Pandian, Karthik
Kalasaligam Academy of Research and Education, Krishnankoil, India

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: This research work investigates the utilization of plastic wastes in the form of Polyethylene terephthalate
Received 4 July 2020 (PET) bottles. PET bottles are used as a whole bottles inside geopolymer concrete specimen in proportions
Received in revised form 25 September such as 3, 6 and 12. PET bottles are shredded and crushed to fine powder and are used as a partial replace-
2020
ment of M-sand in proportions such as 5, 10 and 15 percent. The novelty of this work lies in the utiliza-
Accepted 5 October 2020
Available online 13 November 2020
tion of PET bottles in geopolymer concrete. In this research, works have been focused to develop pervious
geopolymer concrete using Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag as the base material. Combination of
sodium hydroxide and sodium silicate solution was used as the alkaline activator solution. Properties
Keywords:
Geopolymer concrete
such as workability, compressive strength, tensile strength and water absorption are determined in this
GGBS work. Also effort has been made to analyze the behavior of specimen embedded with plastic at elevated
Plastic granules temperatures such as 200, 400, 600 and 800 °C. This research unleashes the scope of utilization of waste
PET bottles plastics inside sustainable geopolymer concrete.
Elevated temperature Ó 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the Second International
Conference on Recent Advances in Materials and Manufacturing 2020.

1. Introduction in the sustainable geopolymer concrete. Rapid Growth of plastic

Concrete is the most versatile and the second largest consumed
building material used in the construction industry. Cement is the
primary element used in the production of concrete [1]. The pri-
mary raw material for the manufacturing of cement is the lime
stone and procurement of limestone leads to land pollution.
Cement production involves liberation harmful greenhouse gases
into the atmosphere leading to the air pollution [2–3]. Hence an
alternative material should be resorted for ordinary concrete. On
the other hand there are series problems associated with the dis-
posal of industrial byproducts such as flyash, Ground Granulated
Blast Furnace Slag (GGBS) as it pollutes land if disposed in land
or pollutes water if it is disposed in water. One of the efficient ways
of disposal of these wastes is to utilize inside a building material.
Geopolymer Concrete (GPC) is gaming attention now a days due
to its remarkable properties. GPC can be synthesized using the
industrial byproducts such as flyash and GGBS as a result of poly-
merization reaction [4–7]. Geopolymer concrete with fibers
enhance the mechanical properties of GPC and durability which
further help to replace conventional concrete in many aspects
[8–14]. Hence it is proposed to conduct further research studies
⇑ Corresponding author.
E-mail address: chithambarmailid@gmail.com (A. Chithambar Ganesh).
industryhas resulted in generation of huge amount of non-
biodegradable wastes all over the world [15–16]. Fletcher and
Mackay reported that plastic material forms the major constituent
in the municipal wastes on volume basis [17]. Polyethylene tereph-
thalate (PET) bottles is one of the important plastic waste gener-
ated as municipal waste. Much of these wastes are dumped in
landfills and causes degradation to environment. For effective plas-
tic waste disposal they can utilized inside the building material. In
this research work, effort has been made to incorporate plastic
wastes inside geopolymer concrete. PET bottles which are the
important form of municipal solid waste have been used as such
as bottles and also PET bottles are crushed and utilized as a partial
replacement of fine aggregate inside GPC. This work paves way for
the effective plastic waste management. The significance of this
study lies in the determination of residual compressive strength
when the GPC specimens are subjected to elevated temperatures
such as 200, 400, 600 and 800 °C.
2. Experimental methodology
The research work aims at investigating the utilization of plastic
inside geopolymer concrete. The plastic is added into the concrete
in two forms such as plastic bottles and fine granular particles as a
replacement of M sand to be used as fine aggregate. Different

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2020.10.170
2214-7853/Ó 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the Second International Conference on Recent Advances in Materials and Manufacturing 2020.
A. Chithambar Ganesh, N. Deepak, V. Deepak et al.
Table 1
Specimen designation and plastic forms.
Mix Plastic
ID
CC Control Specimen without plastic in any form
A-3/1 One layer with one series of 3 horizontal PET bottles (Total bottles-3)
B-6/1 One layer with two series of 3 horizontal PET bottles (Total bottles-
6)
C-3/2 two layer with one series of 3 horizontal PET bottles (Total bottles-6)
D-6/2 two layer with two series of 3 horizontal PET bottles (Total bottles-
12)
E-5 5 percent replacement of M sand with plastic granules
F-10 10 percent replacement of M sand with plastic granules
G-15 15 percent replacement of M sand with plastic granules
mixes and the quantity of plastics employed are tabulated in
Table 1.
PET bottles utilized in specimens A-3/1, B-6/1, C-3/2 and D-6/2
are small 500 ml capacity waste bottles. For specimens E-5, F-10
and G-15, PET bottles are shredded and crushed in to fine granules
and are used as a partial replacement of M sand in construction.
The experimental program consists of casting of geopolymer spec-
imens with plastic content and assessing the effect of plastic gran-
ules over the workability of concrete and effect of utilization of PET
bottles and plastic granules over the mechanical properties such as
compressive and tensile strength, water absorption capacity and
the residual compressive strength of the concrete after exposure
to elevated temperatures such as 200, 400, 600 and 800 °C.
3. Materials and Mix design
3.1. Materials
Geopolymer concrete in this study is synthesized using GGBS,
alkaline activator solution, M sand and coarse aggregate. GPC is
subjected to ambient curing in this study. GGBS is obtained from
Salem steel plant. Specific gravity of GGBS is determined to be
2.9. Mixture of sodium hydroxide and sodium silicate solution is
used as the alkaline activator solution. Specific gravity of sodium
hydroxide solution and sodium silicate solution is determined to
be 1.67 and 1.4. The solution is bought from local chemical indus-
try. Sodium hydroxide solution of 13 molarity is prepared and uti-
lized in this study. Coarse aggregates and M sand are procured
from local industry. Specific gravity of coarse aggregate and
M sand are found to be 2.7 an 2.66. Fineness modulus of M sand
is 2.3. Waste PET bottles are collected from the local area and are
utilized in this work. Plastic granules are made by collecting the
PET bottles followed by shredding and crushing. Specific gravity
of plastic granules are found to 2.9. Fineness modulus of plastic
granules is found as 3.0.
3.2. Mix design and casting
There are no standard guidelines for the design of geopolymer
concrete. Based on the literature review and the previous works
held by the author, the materials were proportioned based on B.
V. Rangan mix [18] design which is similar to IS 10262:2002
[19]. The proportioned materials are mixed in Pan mixer for about
3–5 min. GGBS, M sand, plastic granules are mixed initially fol-
lowed by the addition of coarse aggregate and alkaline solution.
If required limited water can be added for the purpose of workabil-
ity. The concrete is then subjected to workability test and casted in
moulds of required sizes depending upon the testing requirements.
The moulds are then placed in laboratory under ambient curing
condition. Ambient curing is preferred as the geopolymer concrete
is GGBS based. The specimens are then subjected to compressive
445
Materials Today: Proceedings 42 (2021) 444–449
strength test, tensile strength test, water absorption test and resid-
ual compressive strength test after exposure to elevated tempera-
tures such as 200, 400, 600 and 800 °C.
4. Results and discussions
4.1. Workability
The effect of utilization of plastic granules as a replacement of
fine aggregate over the fresh property of GPC specimens are inves-
tigated using compaction factor test as per IS 1199–1959 [20]. The
results are tabulated in Table 2.
The variation of the compaction factor with the inclusion of
plastic granules as a replacement of fine aggregate is depicted in
Fig. 1.
From Fig. 1, it is explicit that the compaction factor value
decreases with the increase in the plastic granules content as the
fine aggregate. As the compaction factor value decreases, workabil-
ity of the GPC reduces. This is due to the reason that specific sur-
face area and the specific gravity of the plastic granules are
greater than M sand. This increase in the property leads to the
reduction of workability. Hence this test suggests the application
of super plasticizer, if more amount of M sand is to be replaced
by the plastic granules.
4.2. Compressive strength
The effect of application of plastic in the form of bottles as such
and as granules as a replacement of M sand over the compressive
strength is investigated by using Universal Testing Machine (UTM)
as per IS 516:1959 [21]. The test results are listed in Table 3.
The variation of the compressive strength with the inclusion of
plastic granules as a replacement of M sand an as such as PET bot-
tles is depicted in Fig. 2.
From Fig. 2, it is observed that there is a reduction in compres-
sive strength when the PET bottles are used as such inside the con-
crete. The reduction in the characteristic strength increases with
the increase in the number of bottles inside the matrix. Specimen
D-6/2 exhibits the least compressive strength of about 60 percent
of the control specimen. With the utilization of plastic granules as
a replacement of M sand, there has been an increase in compres-
sive strength till 10 percent beyond that it reduces. The reduction
in strength at higher dosage is due to the fact there is an increased
presence of voids in the concrete due to the particle size distribu-
tion of plastic granules.
4.3. Tensile strength
The effect of application of plastic in the form of bottles as such
and as granules as a replacement of M sand over the tensile
strength is investigated by using Universal Testing Machine
(UTM) as per IS 5816:1999 [22]. The test results are listed in
Table 3. The variation of the compressive strength with the inclu-
sion of plastic granules as a replacement of M sand an as such as
PET bottles is depicted in Fig. 3.
Table 2
Workability of GPC with plastic.
Mix ID Compaction Factor
CC 0.84
E-5 0.82
F-10 0.79
G-15 0.76
A. Chithambar Ganesh, N. Deepak, V. Deepak et al. Materials Today: Proceedings 42 (2021) 444–449

Fig. 1. Workability of GPC for different Mixes.

Table.3 in tensile strength till 10 percent and beyond that it decreases.

Mechanical Properties of GPC with plastic.
At lower proportions there is a good bond between the plastic
Mix Compressive Strength Tensile Strength Water Absorption granules and the geopolymer inside the matrix. At higher propor-
ID (MPa) (MPa) (%) tion, due to the difference in the particle size distribution, develop-
CC 20.5 2.7 2.5 ment of voids takes place which leads to the reduction of tensile
A-3/1 18.7 2.2 2.1 strength.
B-6/1 17.6 1.9 1.8
C-3/2 17.4 1.8 1.7
D-6/2 13.8 1.2 1.5
E-5 21.3 2.9 2.2
4.4. Water absorption
F-10 21.7 3.1 2.0
G-15 19.2 2.6 1.8
The effect of application of plastic in the form of bottles as such
and as granules as a replacement of M sand over the water
absorption capacity is investigated as per ASTM C642- 2006 [23].
From Fig. 3, it is inferred that there is a reduction in the tensile The test results are listed in Table 3. The variation of the water
strength if the PET bottles are used as such in various arrange- absorption with the inclusion of plastic granules as a replacement
ments. The decrease in tensile strength is proportional to the num- of M sand an as such as PET bottles is depicted in Fig. 4.
ber of bottles used inside the matrix. The decrease in tensile From Fig. 4, it is observed that there is a reduction in the water
strength with the utilization of bottles as such is due to the poor absorption capacity of concrete with the utilization of plastic both
between the PET bottles and the geopolymer present inside the in the form of bottles and as granules. However greater reduction
matrix. On the other hand, if the plastic is utilized in the form of in the water absorption capacity occurs with the increased utiliza-
granules as a replacement of M sand, there has been an increase tion of plastic. The decrease in water absorption capacity is due to

Fig. 2. Compressive Strength of GPC for different Mixes.

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A. Chithambar Ganesh, N. Deepak, V. Deepak et al. Materials Today: Proceedings 42 (2021) 444–449

Fig. 3. Tensile Strength of GPC for different Mixes.

Fig. 4. Water Absorption of GPC for different Mixes.

the poor ability of plastic to absorb water. This turns out to be the
advantage of utilization of plastic inside concrete.
4.5. Residual compressive strength
Residual Compressive strength of the specimen refers to the
actual strength of the specimen after exposure to elevated temper-
atures. In this study concrete specimens to be tested are kept in
muffle furnace and are heated to the required elevated tempera-
ture and are maintained in that particular temperature as such
for 1 h. Specimens are then taken out and kept at room tempera-
ture for 1 h. The specimens are then tested as per IS 516: 1959
[21]. The results are tabulated in Table 4.
The variation of the residual compressive strength with the
inclusion of plastic granules as a replacement of M sand an as
such as PET bottles at different elevated temperatures is depicted
in Fig. 5. Fig. 6. shows the geopolymer concrete specimens pro-
duced using plastic granules.
From Fig. 5,it is inferred that the variation of the compressive
strength at different temperature varies apparently depending

Table 4
Residual Compressive strength at elevated temperatures.

Mix ID Compressive Strength without Exposure (MPa) Residual Compressive Strength (MPa)
200 °C 400 °C 600 °C 800 °C
CC 20.5 18.4 12.6 8.6 9.4
A-3/1 18.7 16.8 11.5 7.8 7.4
B-6/1 17.6 15.8 10.8 7.4 7.1
C-3/2 17.4 15.6 10.7 7.3 6.9
D-6/2 13.8 12.4 8.5 5.8 5.3
E-5 21.3 19.1 13.1 8.9 8.3
F-10 21.7 19.5 13.4 9.1 8.4
G-15 19.2 17.2 11.8 8.0 7.8

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A. Chithambar Ganesh, N. Deepak, V. Deepak et al.
Fig. 5. Residual Compressive strength of GPC for different Mixes.
Fig. 6. Geopolymer brick.
upon the dosage of plastic bottles inside the concrete. Compressive
strength of all specimens suffers a decrease in strength with the
increase in temperature. However it is explicit that GPC specimen
without plastic content in any forms reports increase in strength at
800 °C whereas the remaining specimens with plastic content con-
tinues to exhibit decrease in strength with the increase in temper-
ature. The decrease in compressive strength at various elevated
temperature is proportional to the plastic content present inside
the specimen. The decrease in strength could be due to the melting
of plastic inside the concrete which leads to the damage of bonds
inside the matrix.
5. Conclusion
The experimental study presents a clear picture about the uti-
lization of plastic inside the geopolymer concrete. The results of
the study could be summarized as follows.
 The workability of the geopolymer concrete reduces with the
incorporation of plastic granules as a replacement of M sand
as fine aggregate.
 The compressive strength and tensile strength of the geopoly-
mer concrete reduces with the utilization of PET bottles as such
but this method can be effectively employed to address the dis-
posal problems of PET bottles.
 The compressive and tensile strength of the geopolymer con-
crete increases with the utilization of plastic granules as a
replacement of M sand till 10 percent.
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Materials Today: Proceedings 42 (2021) 444–449
 Compressive strength of the Geopolymer concrete increased to
about 5.8 percent and split tensile strength increases to about
24 percent with the 10 percent utilization of plastic granules
as a partial replacement of M sand as fine aggregate.
 The water absorption capacity of the geopolymer concrete
reduces with the utilization of plastic in any forms such as
PET bottles or plastic granules inside the matrix.
 The residual compressive strength of the geopolymer concrete
reduces with the utilization of plastic bottles and plastic gran-
ules inside the matrix.
CRediT authorship contribution statement
A. Chithambar Ganesh: Conceptualization, Methodology, Soft-
ware, Writing - review & editing, Supervision, Software. N. Dee-
pak: Investigation. V. Deepak: Investigation. Sidhu Ajay:
Investigation. Arun Pandian: Investigation. Karthik: Investigation.
Declaration of Competing Interest
The authors declare that they have no known competing finan-
cial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared
to influence the work reported in this paper.
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