Characterizations of some discarded shells particles polymer-based composites for ceilings and particles board applications
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Date
2023
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Nigerian Society of Physical Sciences
Abstract
Sea-shells, periwinkle-shells, and snail-shells were pulverized into 35.5 µm particle sizes.
Using a two-roll Rheomixer with a rotor speed of 60 rpm for 10 minutes, the particles
were thoroughly mixed with the binders in ratio 2:1 and placed in the compression mold
of dimension 15 cm by 3 cm by 3 cm using a force of 1.5 kN. The Rockwell hardness
tester on scale B with a 1.56 mm steel ball, optical microscope and Flexural tester
were used to characterize the composites. Thermo-gravimetric analyzer and Fourier
Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectrometer were used to characterize the shell particles.
According to the results, epoxy resin (bisphenol-A-diglycidyl ether poly) and hardener
(isophoromediamine) composites containing periwinkle shell particles had the highest
hardness number of 48 and could withstand maximum flexural load of 5.5 MPa with
a maximum flexural extension of 0.05 mm. The epoxy resin (bisphenol-A-diglycidyl
ether poly) and hardener (isophoromediamine) proved to be the best epoxy resin. All
the shell particleS functional groups were visible in the FTIR analysis with varying
transmittances at their respective wavenumbers. Optical micrographs of the composites
showed uniform distribution of the reinforcement and the matrix, thermo-gravimetric
analyses demonstrated good thermal stability of the shell-particles up to 250 ◦C.
Description
Keywords
PVA, Thermo-gravimetric, Acrylic, Isophoromediamine, Bisphenol-A-diglycidyl ether poly