Father Saturnino Urios University

Basic Education Department

Morelos Campus, Libertad Butuan City

Title: THE FEASIBILITY OF MELTED EXTRUDED POLYSTYERE FOAM AND

CIGARETTE FILTER THROUGH GASOLINE AS AN ALTERNATIVE SEALANT

Submitted by:

Karl Edrian Fernandez

Allyza Mae Suazo

Pink Leana Tyreese Osalla

Patricia Diane Quirong

Louven Dave Sarong

Submitted to:

Ms. Nova D. Cabonegro

Practical Research Adviser

Sir. Junnel P. Ballados

Capstone Adviser
 Chapter 1

Introduction

Background of the Study

Throughout time humans have successfully pushed the planet to a

point where climate change occurs. Climate change is the unexpected
shifting of the weather patterns that naturally occur in different
parts of our planet. Climate change has made it difficult for us to
figure out what weather to expect hence, it would be difficult for us
to prepare for it. Philippines, as most of us Filipinos know, is a
country prone to natural disasters most specifically them being
typhoons and have rains. With that being said, the need to cope up
with the damages that these natural disasters cause is emphasized.
These constant rains cause metals to rust and corrode because of the
prolonged exposure to its elements. Rust is an electrochemical process
which occurs on metal surfaces that are exposed to the electrolytes.
When rusting occurs the oxides expand and occupy more space than the
original material. The forces in this process are enormously damaging
to the structure under attack. This is usually present in roofs due to
them being highly exposed to rain.

Another problem in our society is the littering of the non

biodegradable plastic-composed cigarette butt. It merely worsens the
inherent environmental problem that we have now. Environmentalists
have been looking for ways to recycle these cigarette butts and make
good use of it. That’s exactly what this study aims to do.

With the existing problem of the rusting and corrosion of roofs,

immediate solutions and alternatives to existing solutions are highly
needed to cope up with the problem. This study provides a solution to
the rusting and corrosion of roofs, and at the same time make good use
of the useless, environmentally harmful cigarette butt by making a
sealant out of it by combining it with Styrofoam and Gasoline.
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Cigarette butts are the most littered thing on earth. An

expected 5.6 trillion cigarettes are smoked every year, out of
which 66% are inappropriately discarded. That is [4.5 trillion
butts] every year since in 1980s, cigarette butts have
represented 30% to 40% of all litter found in beach front and
urban litter clean-ups. Green, D. (2019)

Many toxic compounds have been found in measurable

concentrations in cigarette butts. Several of these toxins will
leach into water and affect aquatic ecosystems, where
experiments have shown that they kill a variety of freshwater
invertebrates. More recently, when testing the effects of soaked
used cigarette butts on two fish species, researchers found that
one cigarette butt per liter of water was enough to kill half of
the exposed fish. Beaudry, F. (2011)

Based from the study of the Environmental Impact of

Cigarettes (2011) Cigarette butts are reported to comprise an
estimated 25–50 percent of all collected litter items from roads
and streets, making them a concern for the quality of urban
life. Cigarette butts contain all the cancer-causing,
pesticides, and nicotine that make tobacco the leading cause of
preventable death worldwide.

Sealants properly, liquid coatings applied by roller or

brush onto large areas of a roof surface to seal or extend the
life of a leaky or worn roof surface. Some sealants can be used
on many different roof materials such as asphalt shingles, roll
roofing, modified bitumen, even tile or slate while others are
compatible only with specific roof coverings. Manaber (2012)
 Sealant is known to be a viscous material which turns solid
after application and the purpose being, prevention from dust,
smoke, gas, air, water and other unwanted materials. There are
many types of sealants which are used to protect different kinds
of surfaces like drywalls and roofs from external damages. In
this article we are going to read more about roof sealants and
how they are used to protect the roofing system as well as the
house from external damages done by weather, drainage, etc.
Since there are different types of roofs, made from various
materials, the respective sealants are also varied. A roof
sealant is also used for flat and sloping roofs, so that they
too are protected for years. Forms, in which these sealants are
found can be rubber, tar, paint, concrete, or any other durable
covering material that can with and external pressure. A.
Aleshin (2009)

Polystyrene is an aromatic polymer made from the monomer

styrene, a liquid hydrocarbon that is manufactured from
petroleum by the chemical industry. Polystyrene is one of the
most widely used plastics, the scale being several billion
kilograms per year. It is a thermoplastic substance that is
solid state at room temperature, but flows if heated above its
glass transition temperature of about 100 °C, and becomes solid
again when cooled. Pure solid polystyrene is a colorless, hard
plastic with limited flexibility. It can be cast into molds with
fine detail. Polystyrene can be transparent or can be made to
take on various colors (Natta et al., 2011).

Polystyrene’s properties are determined by short range Van

Der Waals attractions between polymers chains. Since the
molecules are long hydrocarbon chains that consist of thousands
of atoms, the total attractive force between the molecules is
large. When heated or, equivalently, deformed at a rapid rate,
due to a combination of viscoelastic and thermal insulation
properties, the chains are able to take on a higher degree of
conformation and slide past each other. This intermolecular
weakness versus the high intramolecular strength due to the
hydrocarbon backbone confers flexibility and elasticity. The
ability of the system to be readily deformed above its glass
transition temperature allows polystyrene and thermoplastic
polymers in general to be readily softened and molded upon
heating (Maul et al., 2010)

Gasoline is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid

that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines.
It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the
fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of
additives. Some gasolines also contain ethanol as an alternative
fuel. Under normal ambient conditions its material state is
liquid, unlike liquefied petroleum gas or “natural gas”
(Dabelstein et al, 2009)

Gasoline has been used as solvent since any groups attached

to the carbon backbone will help dissolve polystyrene. Hydroxyl
groups are too polar, so glycerin and alcohols don’t do it.
Gasoline attacks styrene foam because it has modest percentages
of benzene, toluene, and xylene. Other possible solvents are
also available. Paint-store denatured alcohol has 10% acetone in
it as the denaturant, so it will attack Styrofoam a little. All
cousins of acetone will attack polystyrene. Paraffin wax, drug-
store mineral oil, and candle oil won’t quite dissolve Styrofoam
except when heated (NEWTON AND ASK A SCIENTIST, 2009).

According to Brain, M (2002). The octane rating of gas

reveals how much the fuel can be packed before it spontaneously
ignites. When gas ignites by compression, it causes knocking in
the engine. Knocking can damage an engine, so it is not
something you want to have happening. Lower-octane gas can
handle the least amount of compression before igniting.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

1. Does the cigarette filter actually help improve the sealant?

2. Is this alternative actually better than having to buy the

existing solution to the problem which is actually commercialized
sealants (e.g. vulcaseal)?

3. Does this help the problem of of disposing littered cigarette

filters?

4. Does it actually serve its purpose as a sealant and does it

actually works as one?

Significance of the study

The study being conducted holds significance because first,

cigarette butts are a huge trash issue to our environment that
takes at least a decade to decompose. Enlightenment will then
lead to understanding as using cigarette butts as an alternative
sealant. In addition to this, individuals who are unaware of the
current situation of how cigarette butts harm the environment
can make to a better solution. The benefits of taking time to
dig deep and share knowledge and understanding could lead to a
better community.
Scope and Limitations

The researchers will conduct the study in a house with

comfortable surroundings that would be proper in making the
experiment of this study in Butuan City. The study will only
limit in the surroundings that are in level with the study or
where it would be in level with the product. These are the
chosen limits of the study because these are the things that are
compatible in making the study.

Definition Of Terms

Polystyerefoam, a trademarked brand of closed-cell extruded

polystyrene foam currently made for thermal insulation and craft
applications.

Gasoline, a transparent, petroleum-derived liquid that is

used primarily as a fuel in internal combustion energy, it does
help the Polystyerefoam melt and mixed together.

Sealants, are typically lower strength, yet flexible,

bonding agents used between substrates of differing physical
properties to form a seal between a materials.

Cigarette Filter, it is a harmful plastic and it is non-

biodegradable that takes years to decompose.

Rust, an electrochemical process which occurs on metal surfaces

that are exposed to the electrolytes.
 Chapter 2
Materials and Methods

METHODOLOGY

The materials used in this study are Styrofoam/polystyrene

foam, cigarette butt, gasoline, galvanized sheet, graduated
cylinder, and stirring rod.

COMPONENTS TREATMENT 1 TREATMENT 2 TREATMENT 3

CIGARETTE BUTT 20 pcs 20 pcs 20 pcs

STYROFOAM Until Until Until

consistency is consistency is consistency is
achieved achieved achieved

GASOLINE 150 ml 125 ml 100 ml

In this study, we the researchers concluded that the

Cigarette Filter as Sealant would be durable and more efficient
to use in indoor damages. Its substances will help the Sealant
more durable and also it would be less harmful in using this
product because of the mixed substances that would help the
product fit as to a Sealant.

Method

1. Prepare the materials needed.

2. Slice/rip the cigarette filter into strips then put
it in a metal basin
3. Pour the gasoline
4. Place Styrofoam and let it dissolve in the gasoline,
until consistency is achieved
5. Stir for better consistency
References

Aleshin (2009). A Variety of sealants are available from

adhesive system.

Beaudry, F. (2019). Are Cigarette Butts Biodegradable?

Brain, M. (2002) "How Gasoline Works"

Dabelstein, L. Bromberg, M. Balat. (2009). Octane rating of

booster additives Technical review.

Green, D. (2019). Cigarette butts are the forgotten plastic

pollution.

Healton, C. G., Cummings, M., O'Connor, R. J., & Nevotny,

T. E. (2011).Butt really? The environmental impact of
cigarettes. Tobacco Control Vol. 20:i1.

Manaber (2012). Roof Sealants, Mastics, and Coatings.

Maul, Maillard, D., Conny. (2010). Autophobicity and

Dewetting of thin Polymer films of viscous fluids.

Natta, Shrikat P., Anantharanayan (2009) Characterization

of Styrene Recovery from the Pyrolysis of Waste Expandable
Polystyrene.

NEWTON AND ASK A SCIENTIST (2009) Styrofoam and Gasoline as

an Alternative Roof Sealant.