SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERISATION OF ABRASIVE MATERIALS PRODUCED FROM SNAIL SHELLS AND SILICA

Abstract

Surface finishing operation is a very vital aspect of the manufacturing process and would not fully be achieved without abrasives such as emery paper. Some materials used in the production of abrasives like alumina (Al2O3), and Boron Carbide (B4C) are expensive thereby limiting their usage. This work is aimed at producing abrasive materials from snail shells, silica (SiO2), and epoxy resin while melamine formaldehyde acts as a hardener. The raw materials used were sieved according to ASTM E11-20 standard to obtain an average particle size of 400 µm. The composites were produced by varying different amounts of the epoxy resin as well as the other materials. The samples were analysed using physical, mechanical, and microstructural characterization techniques. An analysis of the results showed that as the content of the epoxy resin in the composite increased, the hardness values increased. The wear rate of the samples containing snail shell powders are higher than those containing only silica. The morphology of the samples obtained through microstructural tests revealed that the silica-based abrasive has better interfacial bonding which helped to confer strength. Therefore, silica can be used to produce abrasives with the required mechanical properties comparable to those of conventional abrasives.