Researchers from Flinders University’s Chalker Research Lab have developed a more sustainable alternative to making bricks by using waste products. 

The team used low-cost feedstocks to make lightweight but durable polymer building blocks, which can be bonded together with an adhesive-free chemical reaction. Their study tested the strength of these materials and explored ways they can be reinforced in construction. 

"In this study, we tested a new type of brick we can make from waste cooking oil, mixed with sulfur and dicyclopentadiene (DCPD)," says Justin Chalker, Professor of Chemistry at Flinders and the project leader. "Both sulfur and DCPD are byproducts of petroleum refining. These bricks bond together without mortar upon application of a trace amount of amine catalyst. All the starting materials are plentiful and can be classified as industrial waste. This research is part of a larger effort to move towards a sustainable built environment."

These bricks can be bound together without needing mortar or cement, materials whose production is very carbon-intensive. "The bonding in this novel catalytic process is very strong, producing a sustainable construction material with its own mortar which will potentially streamline construction," adds Chalker Lab research associate Dr. Maximilian Mann. 

The team will collaborate with Clean Earth Technologies to expand research and development. They will also explore scaling up the material and commercializing it. According to the research paper's first author, Paris Pauling: "The research is an excellent example of new scientific developments in sustainable materials science."