Development of fly ash–polymer-based paver blocks by powder metallurgy processing technique

Abstract

Nowadays, polymer-based materials are extensively used for domestic applications because of their ease in economic production and comparable strength. However, most of the polymer materials are non-biodegradable materials. Hence, conservational environmental policies mandate the replacement or recycling of polymer-based domestic products and components. Besides, discarding flyash in the dumpsites produced from coal-fired thermal power plants aggravates environmental pollution (including groundwater resources). Hence, devising effective waste-management strategies or developing technologies for recycling wastes (polymers and flyash) is the need of the hour. This research focuses on the development of sintering technology to fabricate pavement blocks using polymer wastes and flyash. The coupon-level specimens were fabricated by varying the sintering process parameters, and the following properties were evaluated: macrostructure, hardness, density, wear rate, friction coefficient, and water absorption. The influence of sintering process parameters (temperature and time) on the properties of the developed specimen was analyzed using hybrid polynomial – radial basis function models.