ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Mater.
Sec. Structural Materials
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmats.2025.1579229
This article is part of the Research TopicPreparation and Durability of Building Materials with Ultra-Long Service LifeView all articles
Disposal and application of discarded nitrile gloves in sustainable cement-based materials
Provisionally accepted
- 1CCCC-SHEC Dongmeng Engineering Co. Ltd., Xi'an, China
- 2Shenzhen No.2 Experimental School, Shenzhen, China
- 3Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
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This study focuses on the application of shredded waste nitrile glove fibers (SWNGF) in sustainable cement-based materials, aiming to address the challenges of personal protective equipment (PPE) waste disposal and explore new uses in the construction sector. Specimens were prepared using Conch brand ordinary Portland cement as the base material, mixed with pure water, and incorporated with varying volumes (0%, 1%, 2%, and 3%) and sizes (15mm×5mm, 20mm×5mm, 15mm×10mm) of SWNGF. Through compressive strength, flexural strength tests, and SEM analysis, the results revealed that both compressive and flexural strengths decreased with increasing SWNGF content, with the 15 mm×10 mm size showing relatively better performance in terms of both compressive and flexural strength. Compressive strain initially increased and then decreased, with the 20mm×5mm size favoring compressive strain. Flexural deflection increased steadily for Group A, followed by an initial increase and then a decrease for Group B, while Group C showed a consistent rise. Incorporating SWNGF improved flexural toughness, with post-failure resultsshowing that specimens C3 at Td3 and Td5, and A3 at Td5 and Td10 performed better. Microscopically, the bond between the gloves and the cement matrix showed gaps, but the flexibility of the rubber improved performance. The surface characteristics of SWNGF facilitated bonding, and multiple hydration products were observed in the cement matrix, with some interconnected pores affecting the density. This study provides data support and theoretical basis for the application of SWNGF in concrete, holding significant potential for promoting the sustainable use of waste PPE in the construction industry.
Keywords: Shredded waste nitrile glove fibers, Fiber reinforced cement composites, Compressive Strength, flexural strength, microstructure
Received: 18 Feb 2025; Accepted: 23 Apr 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Tan, Feng, Liu, Zhou, Liu, Liu and Yuan. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Jun Liu, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
Songfu Yuan, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
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