Effectiveness of Polysterene as Alternative Sealant

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

There are lots of plastic, paper, cups, and styrofoam that can be recycled. If things will be done correctly, less waste will crop up, new ideas will come up, and new things will be created. This study explored the different techniques to recycle styrofoam and turn it into a useful product.

METHODS

Multiple methods were used in this study. Specifically, Pre-experimental research and comparative designs were used to investigate. The Pre-experimental design could be a cost-effective way to discern whether a potential explanation is worthy of further investigation. Comparative analysis was done between the commercial sealant and the proposed styro-sealant to investigate the level of acceptance by the target users. The researchers gathered data from selected construction workers through the use of a self-made survey questionnaire to test the smell, adhesiveness, and compressibility of the sealant.

RESULTS

The results reveal that the smell of styro-sealant is not approved by the end-users. 46.67% is quite lower than the 73% obtained by the commercial sealant. When adhesiveness was tested, both styro-sealant and commercial sealant obtained a very good rating, 80% and 83 % respectively. Lastly, in terms of compressibility, styro-sealant obtained a higher percentage (63%) than commercial sealant (50%).

DISCUSSIONS

The results show that in terms of smell and adhesiveness, the commercial sealant is more acceptable than the styro-sealant but in terms of compressibility in the breakage of the sealant, styro-sealant is better as perceived by the end-users. The results imply the possibility of using this product; however, further study is needed to improve its smell for health reasons.