Deterioration In Mechanical Performance Research Articles

Achieving strong and ductile Ti-9Cr alloy with deformable TiCr2 nano-particles by direct energy deposition

Due to the strong segregation of Cr, the content of Cr was restricted in the commercial titanium alloy to avoid β-flecks and deterioration of mechanical performance. Here, we prepared a homogeneous Ti-9Cr alloy with uniform distribution of Cr element by additive manufacturing technology. Fine α laths and dispersed TiCr2 nano-particles were acquired in the alloy, generating a high ultimate tensile strength of 1000 MPa with elongation of 16 %. It was demonstrated that the TiCr2 nano-particles showed a face-centered cubic structure. Stacking faults occurred on the {111} plane of the TiCr2 during deformation, which relieved local stress.

Physicochemical alterations on UV aged polymers leading to microplastics formation: A multi-tiered study of polyester, polycarbonate and polyamide

Plastic, once a revolutionary material, has progressively converted into a global environmental threat possessing ubiquitous distribution, with microplastics (MPs) pollution being in the center of intense multidisciplinary research. Within the framework of the present study, we systematically investigated the physicochemical properties of three widely used commercial polymers, namely poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), polycarbonate (PC) and polyamide (PA) after UV exposure for certain intervals, as to enlighten the aging processes of these polymer types and ameliorate the understanding of their performance through a couple of analytical techniques. The studied polymers were UV-B aged for specific time periods and the photodegradation was initially evaluated by Fourier-transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), proving signs of oxidation, while the crystallinity and thermal properties’ modifications during the weathering were also assessed by X-Ray diffraction (XRD) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) analyses. Additionally, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and water contact angle measurements demonstrated the significant morphological and hydrophilicity differences of the irradiated samples compared to the pristine ones, while mechanical performance deterioration was displayed as evidence that UV irradiation induces the reduction of plastics performance and their progressive fragmentation, possibly inducing the MPs formation. The relative abundance of the pyrolysis products fluctuated throughout the UV exposure experiments as determined by Pyrolysis‒Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (Py‒GC/MS) analysis, while the quantity of the pyrolytic marker compounds for the investigated polymers extensively utilized nowadays in MPs analysis also changed with the time of photo-aging, suggesting the imperative further exploration of aging processes on the well-known polymeric types, since severe risk exists with the reliability of MPs quantification in real environmental samples.

Atomistic simulation of the mechanical behaviors of the pristine and vacancy-induced Ti2C MXene: Effect of temperature, strain rate, and chirality

In context with growing concerns regarding mechanical damage in nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) and energy devices, this study implemented atomistic molecular dynamics simulation to examine the mechanical performance of Ti2C MXene, a high prospectus material in the field of NEMS and energy technologies. Bond-order Tersoff potential was employed to assess the distinction in the mechanical performance of pristine and vacancy-induced Ti2C depending on different physiological conditions, including temperature, loading rate, and chirality. A competitive elastic modulus of 130.72 GPa and 129.12 GPa has been determined along the armchair and zigzag chirality. However, tensile strength along armchair chirality was found to be 30.52 GPa, 21.4% greater than its contrary direction, whereas zigzag chirality withstands 13.55% greater strain at failure than the armchair chirality, measuring 0.273. Superior tensile strength is observed in armchair chirality, whereas zigzag chirality withstands more significant strain at failure. Mechanical attributes show declining trends as the temperature rises; however, the trend is upward while loading happens rapidly. Both carbon and titanium point vacancies degrade mechanical characteristics individually, but the conjugal influence of temperature and point vacancy makes the deterioration more severe. Carbon, the central constituent element, was found to be more significant in the functionality of Ti2C MXene. Therefore, carbon vacancy shows higher formation energy and more significant deterioration in mechanical performance than titanium vacancy. This exhaustive investigation will significantly aid in the safe design of MXene-based nanoelectromechanical devices and catalyze further experimental research on the same layered materials.

Bio-inspired, robust, and anti-swelling hydrogel sensors for underwater information transmission

An anti-swelling supramolecular hydrogel with robustness, fast self-recovery, and strain-sensitivity was meticulously engineered through leveraging the principles of multiple dynamic interaction matching.

Preparation of a nanocellulose/nanochitin coating on a poly(lactic acid) film for improved hydrolysis resistance

Growing concerns regarding plastic waste have prompted various attempts to replace plastic packaging films with biodegradable alternatives such as poly(lactic acid) (PLA). However, their low hydrolysis resistance owing to the presence of aliphatic polyesters limits the shelf life of biodegradable polymers. Hydrolysis leads to the deterioration of mechanical performance, which is a key disadvantage of biodegradable plastics. In this study, a layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly method was used for the dip-coating of biorenewable, biodegradable nanocellulose/nanochitin on the PLA surface. Additional crosslinking and compression of the coated nanofibers, each containing carboxylic acid and amine groups, respectively, were induced through electromagnetic microwave irradiation to protect the PLA film by improving hydrolysis resistance. The coatings were examined by morphological observations and water contact angle measurements. The LBL coatings of differently charged nanofibers of 10.6 μm were reduced to 40 % after microwave treatment, and the thickness does not vary after the hydrolysis experiment. Microwave irradiation increased the water contact angle owing to amide linkage formation, thereby preventing the peeling off of coating layers. Improved hydrolysis resistance inhibited the reduction in molecular weight and tensile strength. These findings could be used to develop sustainable and biodegradable plastic packaging films with a prolonged shelf life.

Experimental study on the high water pressure erosion mechanism and its influence on the submarine shield tunnel concrete segments

This study investigated a high water pressure erosion mechanism and its influence on the mechanical performance deterioration of submarine shield tunnel concrete segments using a series of tests. First, a chloride ion pressure penetration test was conducted to reveal the impermeability performance and chloride ion permeability of the tunnel lining concrete. Then, given the environmental and mechanical characteristics of the lining segment structure of a submarine shield tunnel, a cofferdam-type electrochemically accelerated corrosion method was proposed to simulate the simultaneous application of unilateral water pressure and compression-bending loads on the segment. The effects of water pressure on the strain, deformation, crack propagation, and failure mode of the segment components were investigated. In addition, the damage caused by high water pressure on the segment components was explored using acoustic emission. This study lays the foundation for further research on the durability of shield tunnel structures under high water pressures.

Surface functionalization of zirconium phosphate via sol-gel chemistry for optimizing fire safety and mechanical property of epoxy/intumescent flame retardant composites

Even though the incorporation of zirconium phosphate (ZrP) nanosheets can enhance fire safety of epoxy (EP) resin, the sole addition of ZrP nanosheets cannot make EP resin pass the UL94 V0 rating and obtain high limit oxygen index (LOI). Meanwhile, traditional intumescent flame retardants (IFR) also deteriorate the mechanical properties of EP/ZrP composites. Herein, for optimizing fire safety and mechanical property, organically modified ZrP (OZrP) nanosheets are prepared based on simple sol-gel chemistry and further combined with IFR to enhance the overall performance of EP composite. Compared to LOI values of pure EP (25) and EP/IFR composite (38), incorporating 2.0 wt% OZrP nanosheets further increase LOI to 44. Meanwhile, EP/IFR/2.0 wt% OZrP composite successfully pass the UL94 V0 rating at the thickness of 0.8, 1.6, and 3.2 mm. As expected, the deterioration of mechanical performance of epoxy resin caused by the addition of IFR is obviously suppressed by introducing OZrP nanosheets, confirmed by impact strength of up to 12.7 kJ/m2 of EP/IFR/3.0 wt% OZrP composite. In the cone calorimeter test, the combination of 2.0 wt% OZrP and 20.0 wt% IFR significantly decreases the peak value of heat release rate and total heat release of EP resin by 83.9 % and 59.7 %. According to the microstructure and chemical composition of char residue, an intumescent and graphitized char formation mechanism is raised for the significantly enhanced fire safety in EP/OZrP/IFR composites. The optimization effect of OZrP nanosheets in the fire safety and mechanical property of epoxy/intumescent flame retardant composites further promote the practical application of epoxy resin.

Bioinspired Integrated Auxetic Elastomers Constructed by a Dual Dynamic Interfacial Healing Strategy.

Auxetic materials are appealing due to their unique characteristics of transverse expansion while being axially stretched. Nevertheless, current auxetic materials are often produced by the introduction of diverse geometric structures through cutting or other pore-making processes, which heavily weaken their mechanical performance. Inspired by the skeleton-matrix structures in natural organisms, this study reports an integrated auxetic elastomer (IAE) composed of high-modulus cross-linked poly(urethane-urea) as a skeleton and low-modulus non-cross-linked poly(urethane-urea) as a complementary-shape matrix. Benefiting from disulfide bonds and hydrogen-bond-promoted dual dynamic interfacial healing, the resulting IAE is flat, void-free, and has no sharp soft-to-hard interface. Its fracture strength and elongation at the break are increased to 400% and 150%, respectively, of the values of corrugated re-entrant skeleton alone, while the negative Poisson's ratio (NPR) reserves within a strain range of 0%-104%. In addition, the advantageous mechanical and auxetic properties of this elastomer are further confirmed by finite element analysis. The concept of combining two dissimilar polymers into an integrated hybrid material solves the problem of the deterioration in mechanical performance of auxetic materials after subtractive manufacturing, while preserves the NPR effect in a large deformation, which provides a promising approach to robust auxetic materials for engineering applications.

Study on compaction characteristics and mechanical performance deterioration of large stone porous asphalt mixes

Large stone porous asphalt mixes (LSPM) have advantages in promoting pavement performance, including cracking resistance, rutting resistance, and moisture susceptibility. Engineering practice demonstrates that performance degradation is crucial and has an impact on the durability and service life of asphalt pavement. Therefore, this paper aims at investigating the damage characteristics of LSPM as well as proposing the corresponding control methods. Firstly, a simulation device is designed to carry out the temperature cooling testing of LSPM in the laboratory. Then, the variation of air void contents in LSPM was analyzed with different testing temperatures, loading times, and freeze–thaw cycles. LSPM macro-mechanical strengths and cracking resistance were measured during freeze–thaw cycles. The outcome demonstrates that different sections cool at various rates and for varying lengths of time. The effective compaction time and compactness are directly related to the ambient temperature. Paving at medium and high temperatures is an efficient way to increase the compactness of LSPM. The testing temperature, loading time, and freeze–thaw cycles have significant influences on the change of air void contents, while the influence of load strength is low. The penetration shear strength decreases as the number of freeze–thaw cycles increases, and the change trend gradually decreases. Freeze-thaw cycles will lessen the anti-cracking performance of LSPM. Strictly regulating construction parameters, air void content, and drainage conditions could increase the LSPM asphalt pavement's durability and service life. The change in pore structure composition is the primary factor influencing the damage performance of LSPM.

Investigation of mechanical performance and voids structure of cement-stabilised macadam under freeze-thaw actions

ABSTRACT In cold regions, the mechanical performance of cement-stabilised macadam (CSM) deteriorates significantly due to freeze–thaw (F-T) actions. This paper attempts to investigate the F-T attenuation mechanism of mechanical performance of CSM from the perspective of the evolution of voids structure. To this end, multiple groups performance tests were conducted to study the effect of cement content, freezing temperature, and humidity conditions on the mechanical performance of CSM. Then the size distribution and evolution process of internal voids of CSM after F-T actions were investigated by computed tomography (CT) test. The results indicate that the resilient modulus (RM) and compressive strength (CS) of CSM decrease when F-T cycles increase until 15, and then stabilise gradually with a reduction of less than 5% in the last 5 cycles. It is presumbly attributed to the generation and melt of ice lenses in voids, distorting original matrix of particles. Additionally, increasing cement content can reduce the deterioration of mechanical performance, while increasing moisture content and decreasing freezing temperature promote the deterioration of mechanical performance. The F-T actions cause volume expansion of the larger voids (>100 mm3) before 5 cycles and then mainly result in more small voids (<1 mm3) during 5∼15 cycles. There is an apparent linear relationship between average voids ratio and RM and CS for CSM. The correlation coefficient R 2 is higher than 0.92 and 0.73, respectively.

Endowing Polythioester Vitrimer with Intrinsic Crystallinity and Chemical Recyclability.

Technologically important thermosets face a long-standing end-of-life (EoL) problem of non-reprocessability, a more sustainable solution of which has resolved to nascent vitrimers that can merge the robust material properties of thermosets and the reprocessability of thermoplastics. However, the lifecycle of vitrimers is still finite, as they often suffer from significant deterioration of mechanical performance following multiple reprocessing cycles, analogous to mechanical recycling, and they often show undesired creep under working conditions. To address these two key limitations, we have developed a cross-linked semi-crystalline polythioester with both dynamic covalent bonds and intrinsic crystallinity and chemical recyclability, affording a vitrimeric system that exhibits not only reprocessability and crystallinity-restricted creep but also complete chemical recyclability to initial monomer by catalyzed depolymerization in solution or bulk. Therefore, reported herein is an "infinite" vitrimer system that is empowered with a facile closed-loop EoL option once serial reprocessing deteriorates performance and the material can no longer meet the application requirements. Specifically, the polythioester vitrimer was constructed by copolymerization of a bicyclic thioester with a bis-dithiolane, producing dynamically cross-linked polythioesters with excellent property tunability, from amorphous to semi-crystalline states and melting transition temperatures from 91 to 178 °C.

Molecular Regulation of Flexible Composite Solid-Solid Phase Change Materials with Controllable Isotropic Thermal Conductivity for Thermal Energy Storage.

In recent years, graphene has been introduced into phase change materials (PCMs) to improve thermal conductivity to enhance the heat transfer efficiency in thermal energy storage. However, graphenes tend to aggregate in PCMs, leading to the low thermal conductivity efficient enhancement (TCEE), anisotropic thermal conductivity, and deterioration of mechanical performance of PCMs. In this work, we fabricated biomimetic thermally conductive solid-solid PCMs (SSPCMs) by facile blending of the graphene into well-designed polyurethane SSPCMs, in which the graphene established a controllable and highly efficient isotropic thermally conductive pathway based on the π-π stacking between the graphene and the polymer aromatic ring segment. The as-fabricated SSPCMs showed high TCEE (156.78%), excellent flexibility (328% elongation at break), high enthalpy value (>101 J/g), and solid-solid phase transition properties, under 2% loading of graphene. The proportion of in-plane to through-plane thermal conductivity can be adjusted by an elaborate design of the aromatic ring segment in polyurethane SSPCMs. We further demonstrated mechanical flexibility and photothermal property of the composites to reveal their potential in practical applications.

Mechanical performance of steel-polypropylene hybrid fiber reinforced concrete subject to uniaxial constant-amplitude cyclic compression: Fatigue behavior and unified fatigue equation

In the natural environment, concrete-built structures are frequently undergoing repetitive loadings, e.g., earthquake, automobile traffic, or wind during their entire service life. Those repetitive cyclic loadings trigger gradual initiation, expansion and coalesce of inner cracks, resulting in progressive deterioration of mechanical performance until eventual fatigue failure. This paper presents a hybrid fiber reinforcing strategy that could significantly increase the service life of concrete. In this work, the compressive fatigue performance of steel-polypropylene hybrid fiber reinforced concrete (HFRC) under fatigue compression was investigated. A total of 36 groups of prismatic specimens were tested for various stress levels (0.7, 0.8, and 0.9). With respect to the fatigue deformation, fatigue life, and fatigue strength, the effects of fiber parameters were analyzed, including steel fiber volume fractions (1%, 1.5%, and 2%) and aspect ratios (30, 60, and 80), as well as polypropylene fiber volume fractions (0.1%, 0.15%, and 0.2%) and aspect ratios (167, 280, and 396). The results showed that the incorporation of hybrid fiber exerts a pronounced impact on the fatigue performance of concrete. Specifically, in contrast to plain concrete, the ultimate fatigue deformation and fatigue strength of HFRC could be increased by up to 63.29% and 37.18%, respectively. In addition, owing to a positive synergetic effect generated in the hybrid system, HFRC is more superior to polypropylene fiber reinforced concrete (PFRC) or steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC) in fatigue performance. Furthermore, a unified fatigue model was proposed to estimate the fatigue strength of HFRC with consideration of fiber parameters. The predictions were found to correlate well with available experimental results, demonstrating a wide applicability of the model in prediction of fatigue life of concrete with reasonable accuracy.

Densification and strengthening mechanism in spark plasma sintering of B4C–VB2 ceramics via carbide boronizing

To reduce the negative effects of the long-time and B2O3 phase on the traditional sintering process for B4C-based composite ceramics, nearly fully dense B4C–VB2 composite ceramics were prepared by reactive spark plasma sintering (SPS) technology at 2000 °C with B and V8C7 powders as raw materials in this paper. The effects of the degassing time during SPS on the microstructure and the mechanical properties of the final products were investigated in detail. The results revealed that the proper degassing time was beneficial for the vent of B2O3 during the sintering process, which refined the grain size, promoted densification and improved the mechanical properties of the composite ceramic. However, the redundant degassing time increased the holding time at high temperature, resulting in abnormal grain growth and mechanical performance deterioration. In the present work, the optimal degassing time was 6 min, and the final product prepared under the above conditions exhibited excellent comprehensive performance with a relative density of 99.2%, Vickers hardness of 31.2 GPa, bending strength of 654 MPa and fracture toughness of 5.7 MPa m1/2. In addition, the strengthening and toughening mechanisms of the products were mainly attributed to the residual thermal stresses and bridging structure caused by the fine B4C and VB2 grains distributed uniformly.

Covalent treatment of carbon fibre with functionalized MoS2 nanosheets using thiol-ene click chemistry: The improvement of interface in multiscale epoxy composites

The multiscaling method is contemplated as an effective approach for improving the interfacial adhesion in carbon fibre composites. Nonetheless, the lack of interactions between the nanomaterials and the other constitutes including fibre and matrix resulted in the deterioration of mechanical performance in composites. Herein, the combination of a scalable synthesis method based on ball milling and thiol-ene click chemistry has been utilized to graft the functionalized MoS 2 nanosheets with large lateral dimensions (∼537 nm) on the carbon fibres surface for the first time. The proposed method did not significantly affect the mechanical properties of the carbon fibre, leading to augmentation in the performance of composites by the virtue of higher surface energy and roughness of the fibre surface. In other words, the obtained results have demonstrated that the presence of activated MoS 2 nanosheets on the carbon fibre surface possesses the ability to promote interfacial adhesion and interlaminar shear strength by 74% and 36% respectively, compared to the pristine unsized carbon fibre. Additionally, the effectiveness and the efficacy of MoS 2 -CF reinforcements can be delineated by the enhancements of flexural strength and modulus of multiscale composites by 49.5% and 33.6%, respectively. The morphology of both fibres and fractured surfaces of composites indicated that the random distribution of nanosheets on the fibre surface facilitates the energy dissipation via breakage, pullout, and bridging mechanisms which subsequently improved the overall performance of the developed composites.

Performance degradation and damage model of rice husk ash concrete under dry-wet cycles of sulfate environment.

Rice husk ash concrete (RHAC) is a new type of concrete that has been rapidly gaining acceptance in recent years. In this paper, the improvement effect of rice husk ash (RHA) on the sulfate erosion performance of concrete was confirmed. The ratio of rice husk ash concrete (RHAC) was optimized and compared with ordinary concrete (OC). The performance degradation of 9%RHAC (rice husk ash at 9% by weight of cement) and OC within 135 times erosion dry-wet cycles solution with Na2SO4 at 5% by weight of solution were studied, including the change of apparent phenomena, compressive strength, tensile strength, effective porosity, and dynamic elastic modulus. The microstructure changes of samples before and after sulfate dry-wet cycle were observed by using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results show that with the increase of sulfate dry-wet cycle times, the concrete specimen gradually peels off and expands in volume. The compressive strength and tensile strength increase first and then drop sharply, the effective porosity decreases first and then increases, and the relative dynamic elastic modulus increases and then decreases. The reason is that the ettringite and gypsum are formed by the reaction of sulfate intrusion and hydration products under wetting treatment. After drying treatment, ettringite and free water combine to form sodium sulfate. In the early of circulation, ettringite, gypsum, and sodium sulfate fill the internal pores of the concrete and improve the density. As the number of sulfate dry-wet cycles increases, expansion products accumulate, causing structural expansion damage and deterioration of mechanical performance. However, the hydrated calcium silicate hydrate gel was produced by mixing rice husk ash with concrete to improve the material strength and corrosion resistance. The deterioration degree of the 9%RHAC is better than that of OC at all stages. Finally, the damage constitutive models were established, and the accuracy is higher compared with the measured value.

Enhanced aging resistance of poly(ε-caprolactone)/brewers’ spent grain composites

The presented paper investigated the influence of brewers’ spent grain (BSG) extrusionparameters on the photo-oxidative resistance of poly(ε-caprolactone)-based wood polymer composites.Filler samples characterized by the higher melanoidin content were more efficient in hindering of polymerdegradation, inhibiting the decomposition of the polymer amorphous phase. As a result, deteriorationof mechanical performance was limited, which was expressed by the higher values of aging factorfor samples containing BSG extruded at higher temperatures.

The Effects of Some Phosphorus-Containing Fire Retardants on the Properties of Glass Fibre-Reinforced Composite Laminates Made from Blends of Unsaturated Polyester and Phenolic Resins

This study investigated the effects of phosphorus fire retardants (FRs) in matrices from co-cured blends of an unsaturated polyester (UP) with inherently fire-retardant phenolic resoles (PH) on the mechanical and flammability properties of resultant glass fibre-reinforced composites. Three different phenolic resoles with UP have been used: (i) an ethanol soluble (PH-S), (ii) an epoxy-functionalised (PH-Ep), and (iii) an allyl-functionalised resin (PH-Al) with two different phosphorus FRs: resorcinol bis (diphenyl phosphate) (RDP) and 9,10-dihydro-9-oxa-10-phosphaphenanthrene-10-oxide (DOPO). The flammabilities of the resultant composites were evaluated using cone calorimetry and the UL-94 test. Cone calorimetric results showed reductions in peak heat release rate (PHRR) and total heat released (THR) as expected compared to those of UP and respective UP/PH composite laminates without FRs. UL-94 tests results showed that while all composites had HB rating, FR containing samples self-extinguished after removal of the flame. The mechanical properties of the composites were evaluated using flexural, tensile and impact tests. All FRs reduced the mechanical properties, and the reduction in mechanical properties was more severe in UP/PH-S (least compatible blends) composites with FRs than in UP/PH-Al (most compatible blends) composites with FRs. Amongst the different composites, those from UP/PH-Al with DOPO showed the best fire retardancy with little deterioration of mechanical performance.

Improving the sulfate resistance of recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) by using surface-treated aggregate with sulfoaluminate cement (SAC)

Recycled aggregate (RA) was surface-treated in a sulfoaluminate cement (SAC) slurry in order to improve the resistance of recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) to external sulfate attacks. Three groups of concrete, were prepared with non-treated natural or recycled aggregate, and surface-treated RA (SRA), respectively. The results indicate that the mechanical performance of SRAC (recycled concrete prepared with SRA) was improved compared to the reference RAC. On the micro scale, a relatively dense SAC coating was observed on the surface of SRA, which led to a layered, sandwich-shaped structure of the new interfacial transition zone (ITZ) formed between SRA and the new cement mortar in SRAC. The sandwich-shaped new ITZ presented an overall higher micro-hardness in comparisons with that in the reference RAC. When subjected to external sodium sulfate attacks coupled with drying-wetting cycles, the accumulation of sulfate ions was slower in SRAC, meanwhile the deterioration in mechanical performance of SRAC was less drastic than that of the reference RAC after a long-term sulfate exposure. This paper suggests that the enhanced sandwich-shaped new ITZ should help hinder the SO42- accumulation in SRAC. Moreover, the dense SAC coating which well sustained the sulfate-induced tension can protect the old ITZ and old mortar from the attacks of sulfate ions. This explains why the resistance of SRAC to external sulfate attacks was improved by the SAC treatment on RA.

Copper slag as a potential waste filler for polyethylene-based composites manufacturing

The present study aimed to analyze the application of waste material from copper production– copper slag (ŻŻL) as filler for composites based on the high-density polyethylene (HDPE). Copper slag filler was introduced in the amounts of 1–20 wt%, and its influence on the appearance (color analysis), chemical structure (Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy), microstructure (optical microscopy), as well as static (tensile tests) and dynamic (dynamical mechanical analysis (DMA)) mechanical properties of composites were investigated. Proper dispersion of filler implicated that the incorporation of up to 5 wt% of filler caused only slight, 5% drop of tensile strength, with the simultaneous 16% rise of Young’s modulus. Further increase of filler loading resulted in higher values of porosity and the rise of the adhesion factor, determined from DMA results, which led to the deterioration of mechanical performance. Moreover, spectroscopic analysis of PE-ŻŻL composites indicated that the analyzed filler might be applied as a coloring agent, and the appearance of composites may be engineered by adjustment of filler loading.&#x0D; Keywords: polyethylene, copper slag, mechanical properties, structure, composite, particle reinforced composite