RECYCLING OF WASTE PLASTIC MATERIAL FOR THE PRODUCTION OF TILES USING SAWDUST AS A REINFORCEMENT

Looking into how to make floor tiles that are kinder to the environment, this study used old plastic materials like LDPE and PET, mixed in wood dust plus added a substance called aluminium hydroxide to slow down flames. A total of fifteen different versions were made – each one blending five levels of wood dust (from 5% up to 25%) along with three grain sizes: small at 1.18 mm, medium-sized at 1.70 mm, and larger chunks measuring 2.36 mm – all shaped into slabs sized exactly 30 centimeters by 30 centimeters by 1 centimeters thick. Strength against bending was tested under an Indian standard method IS:3464–1986 using a formula written out fully as sigma equals three times P times L divided by two times b times d squared; while moisture pickup came from weighing samples before and after soaking them. As more sawdust went in, resistance dropped sharply – from highest point near 29.19 megapascals seen clearly when only 5 percent fine particles filled the blend – to weakest result just above 16.77 megapascals where chunkier grains formed heavier loads inside. Meanwhile, water intake crept upward opposite to strength loss – rising slowly from about 1.56 percent when little filler existed – to nearly six percent once maximum amounts crowded the mixture. Smaller particles always made tougher tiles that resisted water better, no matter how much sawdust was used. Results show these mixtures of plastic waste and wood dust can work well as floor coverings. Best results came when using between five and ten percent sawdust along with bits measuring 1.18 millimeters across.