Medical waste may build bolder future
PLASTIC products used in lifesaving dialysis treatment have the potential to be recycled to extend the life of concrete building materials.
Researchers at Deakin University, led by Dr Riyadh AlAmeri, are sterilising and shredding plastic used in dialysis treatment and mixing it with concrete.
The project, a world first, being conducted in collaboration by Deakin and Professor John Agar and Dr Katherine Barraclough, came about because doctors wanted to find a sustainable way to reuse thousands of tonnes of dialysis waste generated each year.
Dr Al-Ameri, of the Deakin School of Engineering, said initial results showed adding plastic to concrete could reduce water absorption rates by 30 per cent.
This significant reduction in water penetration was likely to reduce corrosion of steel internal bars in concrete posts that support structures.
The team has tried mixing concrete with 1 per cent of plastic and 0.5 per cent of plastic to ensure the added material does not affect the concrete’s properties.
“We have proven there is no harm in using the material in concrete,” Dr Al-Ameri said.
“We have carried out testing on the absorption rates of concrete with and without added plastic by submerging the concrete blocks in water.
“We have found that concrete blocks with plastic have a 30 per cent lower absorption rate, which is a huge benefit.”
Concrete cannot be used in structures without steel reinforcement, which is badly affected by corrosion, particularly when used in saltwater or marine settings.
Dr Al-Ameri said engineers used expensive materials to try to protect the internal steel reinforcements.
This absorption reducing method could potentially provide the same or better results for little to no cost. “Concrete can crack and damage the internal bond, which can then lead to water penetration and corrosion of the steel bars, critical for providing the strength and integrity of concrete structures,” he said.
Producing new types of concrete, that offered “better protection, give structures longer life and better performance, as well as help recycle plastic waste — that will be a great achievement”.
Prof Agar said each dialysis treatment created 1-3kg of plastic waste each year and about three million people around the world were being given dialysis.
The research could massively reduce environmental and economic costs.
“This has the potential to have implications worldwide, in the health industry particularly,” Professor Agar said.
“We have a product we know has not been contaminated by anything other than blood.”
The team hopes to conduct testing to see if the mix can stand up to harsh conditions.