Mechanical Behavior of Masonry Mortars Reinforced with Disposable Face Mask Strips

This research presents an experimental analysis of the mechanical behavior of masonry mortars incorporating disposable face masks (FMs) cut into two different sizes. The objective is to provide experimental data contributing to the consolidation of recycling FMs in mortar mixtures. To achieve this, two types of mixtures were prepared: one with strips of 3 x 3 mm and another with strips of 3 x 10 mm. These FM strips were added in different proportions by the volume of mortar (0%, 0.2%, 0.5%, 0.8%, 1.0%, and 1.5%). In all mortars, the dry bulk density, volume of permeable voids, and water absorption, as well as compressive, flexural, and tensile strengths, were evaluated after a 28-day water immersion curing period. Additionally, two essential properties in masonry mortars were analyzed: air content and shear bond strength. The results indicated that, for both strip sizes, adding FMs up to 0.2% positively affected the flexural and tensile strengths; concerning control mortar, increases of 6% and 1.4%, were recorded, respectively, for the longer strips. At this percentage, the density, air content, and compressive and shear bond strengths are not significantly affected. The results demonstrated that incorporating FMs into mortar mixtures is a promising avenue for sustainable recycling and helps reduce microplastic environmental contamination.