Utilizing plastic waste materials in geotechnical engineering: a sustainable solution for environmental challenges

This work evaluates the chemical impact of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) as plastic waste material used in clayey soil improvement. The purpose of this work is to study the behaviour of PET added in different percentages in soil, and how it affects the chemical composition of soil by applying rapid ageing cycles. The thermal stability of the clay-PET mixtures using the thermogravimetric method was studied, and the impact of PET quantity on pH was measured. To detect the migration of PET degradation products to the soil gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used. The GC-MS analysis results indicate the presence of DIBP, the concentration increased proportionally with the amount of PET added to the clay. The thermogravimetric analysis shows a thermal degradation of the polymeric chain starting from 200 [degrees]C. Keywords: soil, PET waste materials, thermal stability, GC-MS analysis, additives migration