Abstract
This study aims to produce novel composite artificial marble materials by bulk molding compound processes, and improve their thermal and mechanical properties. We employed stearic acid as an efficient surface modifying agent for CaCO3 particles, and for the first time, a pretreated, recycled, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fibers mat is used to reinforce the artificial marble materials. The innovative aspects of the study are the surface treatment of CaCO3 particles by stearic acid. Stearic acid forms a monolayer shell, coating the CaCO3 particles, which enhances the compatibility between the CaCO3 particles and the matrix of the composite. The morphology of the composites, observed by scanning electron microscopy, revealed that the CaCO3 phase was homogeneously dispersed in the epoxy matrix under the support of stearic acid. A single layer of a recycled PET fibers mat was pretreated and designed in the core of the composite. As expected, these results indicated that the fibers could enhance flexural properties, and impact strength along with thermal stability for the composites. This combination of a pretreated, recycled, PET fibers mat and epoxy/CaCO3-stearic acid could produce novel artificial marble materials for construction applications able to meet environmental requirements.
Highlights
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is one of the most common plastics widely used in packaging and bottle fields, leading to a massive amount of PET waste to the environment every year [1,2]
The morphology of the composite sample with the CaCO3 particles modified by stearic acid exhibited a better dispersion of modified CaCO3 particles on the epoxy matrix
3 particles modified by stearic acid and reinforced by recycled
Summary
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is one of the most common plastics widely used in packaging and bottle fields, leading to a massive amount of PET waste to the environment every year [1,2]. From the late twentieth ‘century to the current, the PET bottles waste has been recycled and widely used as efficient reinforced material nowadays for construction worldwide [3,4,5,6,7]. One of the most important applications of recycled PET fibers is to reinforce building materials to enhance insulation performance, mechanical properties, economical and friendly environment. It was used as adhesive for polymer concrete, filler for lightweight concrete [8], potential filler for polymer composite and concrete reinforcement material [9,10].
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