Physical and mechanical properties of particulates reinforced composites.

This paper reports the physical and mechanical properties of particulates reinforced composites. Polypropylene (PP) based composites filled with ash particulates was produced using the compression moulding. The thermal properties, structural characteristic and morphology of the composites and ash particulate were studied. Tensile properties, impact strength and flexural properties were used to evaluate the mechanical behaviour of composites. Tensile properties, elastic modulus and hardness properties of the fiber ash polymer composites were improved with aggregate fiber ash loading by 58 %, 41 % and 56 % relative to pure PP composites while there was a drop in impact strength by 56 % as compared with pure PP. Flexural strength of the fiber ash reinforced composites was enhanced significantly with increasing ash particulate loading by 45% and 32% respectively. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) revealed that changes occur due to stretching of hydrogen bond network and lignin was remove completely during carbonation process. Fracture surface morphology of fiber ash reinforced composites gave credence to the fact that good wetting between the particulate and the matrix was achieved.