CHAPTER 1

Introduction

A. Background of the Study

Styrofoam is an important part of the modern economy. It's a very versatile product, used

for cups, plates, and even some interior decorating items. Another very popular use is that of

packing material. Packing Styrofoam comes in either loose form, or as "peanuts." As consumers,

we use this product every day. However one has to understand that the utility of Styrofoam

extends greatly from the common household purposes which we commonly attribute this product

to. Architects often use Styrofoam in concrete form because it has air pockets that make it

excellent as an insulator. In roofs and slabs, it works as lightweight and durable panels that

prevent the elements from entering the interior. Whether its cold or heat, Styrofoam is an

excellent source of insulating material. Even as an insulator of noise, this product is unsurpassed.

Builders often use Styrofoam when creating a home theater areas or recording studios.
Over the years, Styrofoam has managed to find its way into a growing number of

industries as people become more familiar with its versatility and convenience. Architects,

builders, home remodelers, and even homeowners use it for a wide variety of products and for

many reasons. The shipping industry also makes good use of it to protect fragile items, or to

prevent packaged items from moving around in the box. Moreover, Styrofoams are also gaining

popularity in the recycling industry. A lot of investigations have been successfully done

indicating the use of Styrofoams as an additive material to organic products like oyster shells in

the production of ceramics, as well as in the production of glues and paints.

With the known utility of Styrofoam to different areas comes the enthusiasm to probe on

more avenues at which it can still be placed into good use. The researchers of this paper then
thought of using the material as an additive ingredient to the production of concrete tiles and

compare the finished product to the usual concrete tiles made without the addition of Styrofoam

bits. The researchers also want to take into consideration the differing preferences of users when

it comes to the characteristics of products such as density, thermal conductivity, or even texture.

Thus, in this paper, they also intended to compare the characteristics of concrete walls using

Styrofoam dissolved in gasoline as an additive ingredient.

This paper therefore aims to determine two things the feasibility of making concrete

tiles using Styrofoam as an additive ingredient and the extent at which the characteristics of the

products change if it were to be Styrofoam dissolved in gasoline is used. Such action extends to

possible improvement of the characteristics of Styrofoam which has been proven to be great use

in both households and industries. The possible changes on the basic characteristics of Styrofoam

upon addition of limonene will enable prospective users to come up with a wider array of

applications of the material.

B. Statement of the Problem

The research shall deal with the determination of the feasibility of making concrete tiles

using pure Styrofoam and Styrofoam dissolved in gasoline as additive ingredients. The

characteristics of the produced concrete walls shall also be determined and compared.

Characteristics that shall be determined include the products color, density, texture, durability,

and thermal conductivity. Concrete tiles without the addition of Styrofoam will be used as the

controlled set-up while the two set-ups with both pure Styrofoam and the ones dissolved in

gasoline shall be the experimental groups.

The following questions shall be answered at end of the investigation:

1. What are the characteristics of controlled group?

2. What are the characteristics of the experimental groups?

 3. Is there a significant difference on the characteristics of all groups?

C. Hypothesis of the study

1. There is no significant difference on the characteristics of all groups in terms of color,

texture, durability, and thermal conductivity.

D. Objectives of the Study

The researcher aims to achieve the following objectives:

1. Determine the characteristics of concrete tiles in terms of its color, texture, durability,

density, and thermal conductivity without any additive ingredient.

2. Determine the characteristics of concrete tiles in terms of its color, texture, durability,

density, and thermal conductivity with pure Styrofoam and Styrofoam dissolved in

gasoline as additive ingredients.

3. Compare the characteristics of all concrete tiles with and without additive ingredients in

terms of the abovementioned specific characteristics.

E. Significance of the Study

With the promise that Styrofoam holds in the recycling industry comes the enthusiasm to

further investigate on what other avenues can it be useful. Considering the insulating property of

the said material, the researchers thought that it would be ground breaking to determine the

feasibility of using the material as an additive ingredient to the production of concrete tiles.

Moreover, the researchers also take into consideration the differing preferences of costumers
when it comes to satisfaction. People would always want the best. But getting the best is relative.

Thus, by determining the extents at which the characteristics of concrete tiles with Styrofoam be

changed when gasoline is introduced we also open up possibilities on how to best improve

products to suit the needs of customers. By coming up with an information on the changes that

gasoline can make to the concrete tiles, prospect users are now given a wider array of Styrofoam

applications. Such information is seen to benefit a number of stakeholders i.e. manufacturers of

Styrofoam and the users of it as well. Moreover, this research shall become a baseline to future

related investigations on the improvement on the characteristics of raw materials other than the

subject used in the study.

F. Scope and Limitation

In general, the focus of this study is directed towards two things determination of the

feasibility of using Styrofoam as an additive ingredient to the production concrete tiles and the

comparison of the characteristics of concrete tiles with pure Styrofoam and Styrofoam dissolved

in gasoline are used as additive ingredients. The method used in the production of concrete tiles

is based on the procedure given by a mason interviewed by the researchers themselves. As to the

amount of Styrofoam added, it shall be proportioned to the amount of sand to be added when the

control group was made. Moreover, determination and comparison of characteristics shall extend

to the samples color, density, texture, durability, and thermal conductivity. Dissolution shall be

done through the use of gasoline, a hydrocarbon proven to dissolve polysterene. Determination

of the mentioned characteristics shall be done in two ways laboratory activity and survey. The

former will be used to determine the density, durability, and thermal conductivity of the samples.

A 30-respondent survey will be utilized to determine the color and texture of both samples.
G. Operational Definition of Terms

Color That aspect of things that is caused by differing qualities of

the light reflected or emitted by them, definable in terms of the

observer or of the light (www.freedictionary.com)

Density defined in a quantitative manner as the measure of the relative

heaviness of the objects with a constant volume

(www.elmhurs.edu). This property is gauged by dividing the

mass of the sample to its volume.

Texture the roughness or smoothness of both samples used in the

Investigation.
Durability a measure on the maximum magnitude of force the samples

could withstand without breaking.

Thermal conductivity is the property of a material to conduct heat. It is a measure on

how fast heat is conducted to both samples used