Influence of powdered chick eggshell (PECS) on mechanical and wear properties of kenaf fiber (KF) reinforced composites

Abstract

The mechanical and wear characteristics of epoxy polymer reinforced composites using kenaf fibre (KF) and powdered chick eggshell (PCES) were examined experimentally. Calcined and uncalcined egg shell particles were created through the processing of egg shell. By using soil retting, kenaf fibres were extracted from the ground and then subjected to NaOH treatment. The composite was made by mixing the selected components in a specified ratio using the hand lay-up process. The produced composites' mechanical and wear characteristics were assessed. The results showed that calcium carbonate may be found in egg shell particles, and in most tests, the uncalcined ESP/SF reinforced epoxy composites outperformed the calcined ESP/SF composites. Additionally, it was found that most tests performed best at various weight fractions. The maximum results of this experimental investigation were 49.57 MPa, 3.64 GPa, 34.41 MPa, 3.49 GPa, 16.43 kJ/m2, and 63.91 HS for tensile, flexural, impact strength, flexural, tensile modulus, and shore D hardness. The 2- wt% calcined PCES particles were responsible for establishing the better wear behaviour. However, the weight fraction with the best values was found to be 2 weights %.