Bricks made from residual cooking oil bond without mortar

Researchers at the Chalker Lab at Flinders University in Australia, a new type of brick made from waste cooking oil It is mixed with sulfur and dicyclopentadiene (DCPD), two by-products of petroleum refining. Besides being tough, these new building blocks are glued together without mortar, but with only a small amount of amine catalyst.

provides discovery cheap brick productionSince it is produced with accessible and abundant raw materials, it allows certain household and industrial wastes to be recycled in a much more ecological way than current conventional disposal methods.

Flinders chemistry professor Justin Chalker explains that there is a sustainability issue, noting that the production of cement, iron and steel, the main materials currently used in construction, is responsible for more than 15% of global CO2 emissions._two of the planet.

How is the resistance of the new bricks?

To ensure that new bricks can be used effectively in civil construction, Researchers performed various tests to assess resistance. polymers produced from residual cooking oil, sulfur and DCPD. Alternatively, the team also explored ways to strengthen the material by adding a filler made of carbon fiber.

The result was Bricks can be used normally in construction, even without fillers. This is due to the strength of the SS (sulfur-sulfur) metathesis bonds in the polymer from which they are formed. Joints not only add stability to the block, but also allow the bricks to stick to each other and to be adhered without mortar.

It was published as the cover letter in the July issue of the magazine. Macromolecular Chemistry and PhysicsThe study showed a very different approach to traditional incineration, recycled waste and even add resources to the environment.

ARTICLE – Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics – DOI: 10.1002/macp.202100333.