The Effect of the Addition of Synthetic Braiding Hair on the Compressive Strength of Adobe Bricks
School Name
Spring Valley High School
Grade Level
11th Grade
Presentation Topic
Environmental Science
Presentation Type
Non-Mentored
Abstract
The uncertainty of the Earth’s sustainable future has been brought to the attention of the global community in recent years. One factor that has become an increasingly dangerous threat to Earth’s sustainable future is plastics. There have been many efforts to reduce the amount of plastic that is used and disposed of every day. Such efforts include, but are not limited to, the adoption of metal straws and reusable grocery bags. The intention behind these replacements is to reduce the amount of plastic that ends up in landfills and incinerators, thereby decreasing greenhouse gas emissions. Although those efforts have shown promise, climate change organizations continue to search for new methods of recycling plastics in the environment. The aim of this experimental study is to recycle microplastics, specifically synthetic hair, by reusing hair that would be thrown away in adobe bricks. To test the viability of this idea, synthetic hair was incorporated into two different types of clay bricks: with and without cement. Descriptive statistics and a t-test were run on the compressive strength testing results. T-test analyses revealed that synthetic hair does have a positive and significant effect on the compressive strength of the bricks, t(4)=-7.57, p<0.01. From that analysis, it can be concluded that the synthetic hair bricks with no cement are the most cost-efficient bricks because they have higher compressive strength (M=512.06, SD=38.12) but do not require the additional assistance of cement, t(4)=-0.31, p=0.77. The null hypothesis can be rejected based on the findings meaning that adobe bricks with synthetic hair can be a constructive method of synthetic hair waste disposal.
Recommended Citation
McGriff, Maegan, "The Effect of the Addition of Synthetic Braiding Hair on the Compressive Strength of Adobe Bricks" (2023). South Carolina Junior Academy of Science. 83.
https://scholarexchange.furman.edu/scjas/2023/all/83
Location
BS 355
Start Date
3-25-2023 11:15 AM
Presentation Format
Oral and Written
Group Project
No
The Effect of the Addition of Synthetic Braiding Hair on the Compressive Strength of Adobe Bricks
BS 355
The uncertainty of the Earth’s sustainable future has been brought to the attention of the global community in recent years. One factor that has become an increasingly dangerous threat to Earth’s sustainable future is plastics. There have been many efforts to reduce the amount of plastic that is used and disposed of every day. Such efforts include, but are not limited to, the adoption of metal straws and reusable grocery bags. The intention behind these replacements is to reduce the amount of plastic that ends up in landfills and incinerators, thereby decreasing greenhouse gas emissions. Although those efforts have shown promise, climate change organizations continue to search for new methods of recycling plastics in the environment. The aim of this experimental study is to recycle microplastics, specifically synthetic hair, by reusing hair that would be thrown away in adobe bricks. To test the viability of this idea, synthetic hair was incorporated into two different types of clay bricks: with and without cement. Descriptive statistics and a t-test were run on the compressive strength testing results. T-test analyses revealed that synthetic hair does have a positive and significant effect on the compressive strength of the bricks, t(4)=-7.57, p<0.01. From that analysis, it can be concluded that the synthetic hair bricks with no cement are the most cost-efficient bricks because they have higher compressive strength (M=512.06, SD=38.12) but do not require the additional assistance of cement, t(4)=-0.31, p=0.77. The null hypothesis can be rejected based on the findings meaning that adobe bricks with synthetic hair can be a constructive method of synthetic hair waste disposal.
