Effectiveness of using rubber waste as aggregates for improving thermal performance of plaster-based composites

In this paper, rubber waste is added to plaster-based composite to produce an alternative construction material. The main goal of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of using shredded rubber waste as aggregates in plaster mortar for improving its insulating aspect potential. This composite is obtained by mixing dune sand, plaster, rubber particles, and water. The rubber aggregates are incorporated in mixes as a partial replacement by volume of some parts of sand. Unit weight, capillary absorption of water, mechanical, and thermal-related properties are evaluated and compared according to the percentage of rubber in the mix. The results obtained showed that the addition of rubber will modify the properties of the mortar. Even though the mechanical strength is decreased with the increase of rubber content, it should be mentioned that rubber particles could significantly reduce the weight the material, decrease the rate of water absorption, and improve the insulation aspect of the composite. It can be noted that, below 50% of rubber, modeling by auto-coherent homogenization confirms the experimental results of thermal conductivity. Finally, it should be noted that recycling of rubber waste can produce an alternative eco-friendly material.