Thermal Conductivity Characterization of Epoxy Based Composites Reinforced with Date Palm Waste Particles

Abstract

Natural additives are largely available and have good environmental properties, therefore it mostly added as reinforcing material in a large number of polymeric materials. The intention of this study is to prepared green composite products to utilize as an insulating material and also in internal components of automobiles and the shipbuilding industry. For that reason, six composites were prepared that using particles from the date palm waste (palm mesh, seed of fruit, and trunk) as reinforcing fillers at (10, 20, and 30) wt.% loading as well as a hybrid of each three fillers in an epoxy matrix. The result included that the variation of thermal properties with the filler volume fraction and also with the type of fillers. At maximum volume fractions (30%), the seed date palm attained the lowest values of thermal properties of 0.138W/m.K, 720 m2/s, and 0.0201 J/kg.K for the thermal conductivity, specific heat, and thermal diffusivity respectively. Epoxy hybrid composites have the lowest thermal conductivity than other composite materials, making them more suitable for thermal insulation materials.