Improving the Mechanical Properties of Fly Ash Reinforced Polyester Composites for New Household Uses

Abstract

Abstract Fly ash, which is industrial waste, has become an excellent material for use as a reinforcing material in composite materials. In addition, this material is a geopolymer material that is used to replace traditional ceramic materials, as it allows the production of high-quality composite materials with excellent properties, lightness, and lower cost. The engineering applications of such composites require high tensile strength, low density, and high wear resistance. In this article, various mechanical tests and fracture surface analyses have been carried out. The surface properties, represented by hardness and elasticity, increased with increasing fly ash content, which is also evidenced by high impact strength. Modification of the surface of the fly ash particles in depth led to an optimal increase in the plastic properties, represented by ultimate strength. The wear tests have shown that high fly ash content can improve wear resistance. The analysis of the fracture and wear surfaces showed that the particles are distributed efficiently. Finally, this composite is intended for use in new buildings as the building block of the future, the design of which was reported in this article.