Identifying new recycling initiatives for waste fishing gear is highly important, especially, if the fishing gear could end up as marine litter. The aim of this study is to investigate the potential of using recycled polyethylene (R-PE) fibres from waste fishing nets as fibre reinforcement in gypsum-based materials. The discarded fishing nets were processed by an industrial, mechanical cutting operation to create monofilament R-PE fibres. The fibre characterisation included tensile tests, geometry, morphology and leaching of anions (Cl⁻, NO₃⁻, SO₄²⁻). The mechanical properties of the R-PE fibres were found to be in the same range as other commercially available synthetic fibres used in gypsum-based materials. Laboratory-scale specimens were prepared and R-PE fibres added at fractions of 0.25–2.00 wt%. Mechanical tests were carried out to determine the compressive and flexural response of gypsum-based materials. The addition of R-PE fibres resulted in a small reduction in the compressive strength and the ultimate flexural strength, but to the positive side, there was a significant increase in the post-crack performance. Based on these results, gypsum-based materials with the addition of R-PE fibres have the potential for being used as non-structural elements such as gypsum boards where increased post-crack performance and ductility is required.

确定废弃渔具的新回收计划非常重要，特别是如果渔具可能最终成为海洋垃圾。本研究的目的是研究使用来自废弃渔网的回收聚乙烯 (R-PE) 纤维作为石膏基材料中的纤维增强材料的潜力。废弃的渔网通过工业机械切割操作加工成单丝 R-PE 纤维。纤维表征包括拉伸试验、几何形状、形态和阴离子（Cl ^-、NO ₃ ^-、SO ₄ ^2-）。发现 R-PE 纤维的机械性能与用于石膏基材料的其他市售合成纤维处于同一范围内。制备实验室规模的样品，并以 0.25-2.00 wt% 的比例添加 R-PE 纤维。进行了机械测试以确定石膏基材料的压缩和弯曲响应。R-PE 纤维的加入导致抗压强度和极限抗弯强度略有降低，但从积极的方面来看，裂纹后性能显着提高。基于这些结果，添加 R-PE 纤维的石膏基材料有可能用作非结构元件，例如需要提高开裂后性能和延展性的石膏板。