Recycling Rigid Polyurethane and Aluminum Powder Waste in Sustainable Foamed Geopolymer Concrete

Abstract

This study evaluates the performance of foamed geopolymer concrete (FGC) incorporating rigid polyurethane (PU) waste as a partial sand replacement and aluminum powder (AP, 1%) as a foaming agent. The mixtures were based on metakaolin, fly ash, and silica fume. Fresh and hardened properties were assessed, including workability, setting time, density, compressive strength, flexural strength, splitting tensile strength, elastic modulus, water absorption, porosity, gas permeability, and chloride ion penetration. Microstructural characteristics were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results show that moderate PU incorporation significantly enhances mechanical performance. The optimal mixture (PU30) achieved a compressive strength of 47.25 MPa at 180 days, representing a 15.6% increase compared to the control. Flexural and splitting tensile strengths improved by 19.9% and 16.7%, respectively, while the elastic modulus increased by 33.8% to 0.95 GPa. These improvements are attributed to enhanced particle packing and more efficient stress transfer within the matrix. In contrast, higher PU contents (>30%) reduced mechanical performance due to increased total porosity and weakened interfacial bonding. Durability-related properties indicated that mixtures PU20–PU30 exhibited reduced permeability and optimized pore structure, characterized by lower pore connectivity. SEM observations confirmed a denser matrix with uniformly distributed pores at optimal PU levels. Additionally, the integration of Random Forest regression with GLCM-based texture analysis demonstrated strong capability in predicting mechanical properties from SEM images. Overall, the combined use of PU waste and AP enables the production of lightweight, structurally efficient, and sustainable FGC with improved mechanical and durability performance.