Utilization of Recycled Cathode ray tube waste glass in Cement Mortar Composites for Gamma Radiation Shielding Applications
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/Keywords:
Cathode ray tube, Cement mortar, Radiation shielding, Electronic waste, Gamma attenuationAbstract
The rapid obsolescence of Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) technology has generated a significant global stockpile of electronic waste, posing serious environmental risks due to lead content. This research investigates utilizing recycled CRT glass as fine aggregate in cement mortar composites for gamma radiation shielding. CRT glass was processed from discarded television sets and used to replace natural sand at 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% by weight. Composites were tested for compressive strength, water absorption, density, and gamma radiation attenuation using a Cobalt-60 source. Results showed that CRT incorporation enhanced mortar density, with the 100% CRT composite achieving 2620 kg/m³ versus 2410 kg/m³ for the control. Compressive strength initially decreased at 25% replacement but increased significantly at higher levels, with 100% CRT attaining 34.40 MPa. All CRT mixes exhibited lower water absorption (1.43-1.65%) than the control (2.09%). Gamma radiation shielding improved consistently with increasing CRT content, with 100% replacement showing the highest attenuation. The study concludes that recycled CRT glass is an effective sustainable aggregate for producing high-density cement mortar with superior mechanical properties and enhanced gamma radiation shielding capability.
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