A new construction material with resistance properties similar to conventional cement has been created by researchers at the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV) and Jaume I University of Castellón, both in Spain, in collaboration with the Imperial College London and the Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp). The new material is made from discarded ceramic tiles, bricks, and toilet bowls. “The material does not contain cement, only sand, crushed ceramic debris, and an alkaline activator consisting of sodium hydroxide, sodium silicate, and water,” explains Professor Mauro Tashima from the civil engineering department at Unesp in the city of Ilha Solteira, who participated in the research during his doctoral studies at UPV. According to the project’s coordinator, Professor Maria Victoria Borrachero, after the mix has been homogenized, the new material is placed into molds and cured at 65ºC. “The resulting material has resistance properties similar to conventional cement, but with less energy expenditure in its manufacture,” says Tashima. The initial results of the research were published in the journal Construction and Building Materials, in August 2013.
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