Eco-friendly polymers mortar for floor covering based on dredged sediments of the north of France

The onshore management of marine and river sediments represents economic, environmental, and societal issues; these materials are considered as wastes after dredging. In the framework of the SEDIPLAST regional project, dredged sediments, which are considered as non-inert waste according to European regulation, are recovered as mineral aggregates in thermosetting polymeric matrix to formulate polymer mortars in the field of floor coverings. The formulations are optimized using the Packing Density Model, to determine the optimum density of the mixtures, thus allowing having the high mechanicals characteristics of material. These formulations are evaluated by mechanical, thermal, and chemical tests according to the French classification of durability which characterizes the soil of a locality according to its use (UPEC). The results showed that the polymer mortars including dredged sediments have excellent physical, mechanical, and thermal properties, such as low voids content and excellent chemical resistance properties. Finally, SEM observations of different mixtures allowed to give an explanation of the results observed in macroscopic scale.