Used face masks can be used for more durable concrete

With the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been a great increase in the use of disposable face masks, and these masks have now started to pose an environmental problem. A research team came up with the idea of ​​incorporating old masks into a concrete mix to create more durable concrete

Incorporating used masks in a concrete formulation

Washington State University scientists added used face masks to a concrete mix. They obtained a concrete 47% stronger than concrete without mask marks. The researchers did not use the metal nose bridges and cotton ear loops from disposable surgical masks for the current mixture.

The team shredded the fabric into 5 to 30 mm long fibers and treated these fibers with a graphene oxide solution. A coating was also created over the fibers to add extra surface area to help them adhere to the commonly used Portland cement paste. The final product was added to cement, the binding component of concrete, in a volume of 0.1%.

Fibre-formed concrete was observed to exhibit 47% greater split tensile strength than original Portland cement when tested one month after application.

The new concrete mix that has been developed plays an important role in preventing environmental pollution, besides enabling the production of more durable concrete as it contains disposable face masks. This offers a significant advantage for the reuse of masks that can remain in the environment for decades.