Thermoplastic Polymer Composites Research Articles

Hygrothermal aging behavior and mechanical degradation of ramie/carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic polymer hybrid composites

Hybrid multi-fibers reinforced thermoplastic polymer composites with reasonable structure design can maximize their physical or chemical properties to obtain outstanding comprehensive properties. To broaden the industrial applications and understand the properties of natural ramie fiber product, the hygrothermal aging behavior and flexural properties of the ramie fiber and carbon fiber (R/C) reinforced polyethylene terephthalate glycol hybrid composites with different lay-up sequences were investigated with 90-days water aging. The finite element analysis model was established to reveal the moisture diffusion evolution and the hygrothermal aging behavior. After 90-days aging, the water uptakes of the [R/R/C/C]s, [R/C/R/C]s, [C/R/C/R]s, [C/C/R/R]s hybrid composites are 2.72%, 2.41%, 2.38%, 2.36%, respectively. The results simulated with the finite element analysis show good consistency with the experimental results of moisture absorption and reveal the different moisture diffusion evolution process of the R/C hybrid composites. The cross-sectional contact angles of the hybrid composites is obviously less than surface contact angles. According to change the lay-up sequences, the flexural modulus of the unaged [C/R/C/R]s and [C/C/R/R]s composites can improve 0.98 times and 1.43 times than that of the unaged [R/R/C/C]s composite. After 90-days aging, the flexural strengths of the [R/R/C/C]s, [R/C/R/C]s, [C/R/C/R]s, [C/C/R/R]s composites decrease with 34.2%, 36.9%, 25.2%, 25.8%, respectively. Furthermore, the fracture modes of the hybrid composites before and after hygrothermal aging vary from brittle fracture to ductile fracture. The knowledge gained in this study will benefit future design optimization of natural fibers hybrid composites and their engineering applications.

Conductive compliant mechanisms: Geometric tuning of 3D printed flexural sensors

• The geometric design of MEX fabricated compliant flexural sensors highly influences the measured signal amplitude. • An increase in relative resistance is seen when concentrating the bend to a smaller section and is proportional to the bending force. • Hysteresis of the measured signal, due to material relaxation, increases with the concentration of the bending area. • The reproduced flexural sensors fabricated via MEX show consistent sensor behavior. Additive manufacturing of thermoplastic conductive polymer composites offers interesting opportunities for customizing compliant flexural sensors. The study aimed to show that additive manufacturing could be used to fabricate flexural sensors for evaluating the effect of sensor geometry on the sensor output. Prior literature has primarily focused on material optimization rather than geometrical design. The results of this paper show that the signal amplitude between geometrically different flexural sensors with the same footprint can increase ∼28 times. In addition, the bending force is found proportional to the signal amplitude. Thus, concentrating the bending to a small section increases the signal amplitude but also increases the effect of material relaxation broadening the hysteresis loop. This study highlights the importance of considering the geometrical design when fine-tuning additive manufactured flexural sensors. In future work, it is paramount to improve reproducibility, signal linearity, and investigate the effects of geometry on other sensor parameters.

Effect of polymer type on the properties of polypropylene composites with high loads of spent coffee grounds

The main focus of this work is to study the processability and characteristics of highly loaded spent coffee grounds (SCG) thermoplastic polymer composites, for sustainable applications. SCG powder was characterized in terms of size distribution, moisture, morphology and thermal stability. Polymer/SCG composites were prepared by extrusion compounding. Polypropylene (PP) homopolymer and copolymer were used as the polymeric matrix. Upon compounding by extrusion composites were injection moulded and characterized for its physical, morphological and mechanical properties in order to determine the effect of polymer type and filler content. Morphological characteristics of the composites were investigated using optical microscopy and SEM analysis. The results for PP homopolymer showed little deterioration of the mechanical properties when using the highest SCG load. In the case of PP homopolymer, the greatest variations occurred when increasing from 0 to 20 %. With higher SCG loads, the measured properties changed little. PP copolymer showed a more continuous pattern of properties decay with increasing SCG load, especially for tensile strength, elongation at break and impact strength. Regarding PP copolymer, with maximum SCG load, the tensile strength decreased from 26.8 GPa (neat PP) to 10.8 GPa, the elongation at break showed a drop of more than 95 %, while the Young’s modulus increased from 800 MPa to 1160 MPa. This research work has shown that SCG can be used as fillers in the preparation of environmentally friendly composites with SCG load up to 60 wt% thus contributing to the reuse of waste generated by the coffee industry.

Self‐reinforced polymer composites: An opportunity to recycle plastic wastes and their future trends

AbstractPolymers and their composites have played an important role in industrial development. Polymer composites are becoming much stronger and more competitive than other materials as a result of ongoing research and development. This was made possible by newly developed techniques that could alter the physical and chemical properties of constituents. One of them is the self‐reinforcement technique, which allows for the fabrication of high‐strength thermoplastic polymer composites with reserved degradability, which is not possible with glass fiber/carbon fiber reinforcement. A self‐reinforced polymer composite is made of a single polymeric material, which serves as both the matrix and the reinforcement. This review article discusses the use of self‐reinforcement in various polymers and its impact on mechanical, thermal, and fire properties. Furthermore, the effects of process parameters (such as temperature and time, an), reinforcement structure, and mechanical property variation on the structure of self‐reinforced composites are reviewed and presented in detail. In addition, the effect of foreign filler addition (such as flame retardants, inorganic particles, natural fibers, etc.) on self‐reinforced composites is highlighted. In the end, the need for future research and its scope is presented.

Graphene-Based Thermoplastic Composites as Extremely Broadband and Frequency-Dependent EMI Absorbers for Multifunctional Applications

Multifunctional materials are the future of modern electronics. The reduction of weight and no interfacial mismatches perfectly fit the requirements of those industry sectors which require miniaturization, low weight, and high functionality, like aerospace or wearable electronics. Here, we show multifunctional thermoplastic polymer composites based on acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene (ABS) with graphene nanoplatelet (GNP) inclusions at different weight loadings of GNPs, from the pure polymer up to 10 wt %. The multifunctionality is expressed via efficient electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding in an extensive frequency range, from microwave to terahertz, and good electrical conductivity and heat management. The highest measured total shielding efficiency reached over 80 dB per 1 mm-thick sample in the terahertz range for the 5 wt % GNP concentration. Composites with the highest GNP loading show high thermal conductivity of 1.8 W/mK and an electrical conductivity of 188 S/m. All composites exhibited absorption as the primary shielding mechanism. These are some of the highest EMI shielding efficiency and thermal conductivity values reported in the literature. Our results suggest that the ABS/GNP composites reported here are suitable for multifunctional EMI absorber/heat management applications.

Fabrication and Characterization of Carbon Nanofibers Coated Expandable Thermoplastic Microspheres-Based Polymer Composites

Background: Thermoplastic expandable microspheres (TEMs) are spherical particles that consist of a polymer shell encapsulating a low boiling point liquid hydrocarbon that acts as the blowing agent. When TEMs are heated at 80-190 °C, the polymer shell softens, and the hydrocarbon gasifies, causing the microspheres to expand, leading to an increase in volume and decrease in density. TEMs are used in food packaging, elastomeric cool roof coatings, shoe soles, fiber and paper board, and various applications in the automotive industry. It is noted that TEMs are known by their brand name ‘Expancel’, which is also used to refer TEMs in this paper. Objective: The objective of this work was to develop and characterize forms prepared from TEMs with/without carbon nanofibers (CNFs) coatings to study the effect of CNFs on structural, thermal, and mechanical properties. Method: Sonochemical method was used to coat TEMs with various weight percentages (1, 2, and 3%) of CNF. Neat foam (without CNF) and composite foams (TEMs coated with various wt.% of CNF) were prepared by compression molding the TEMs and TEMs-CNF composites powders. Thermal and mechanical properties of the neat and composite foams were investigated. Result: The mechanical properties of the composite foam were notably improved, which is exhibited by a 54 % increase in flexural modulus and a 6% decrease in failure strain with the TEMs-(2 wt.% CNF) composite foam as compared to the neat foam. Improvement in thermal properties of composite foam was demonstrated by a 38% increase in thermal stability at 800ºC with the TEMs-( 1 wt.% CNF) composite foam as compared to the neat foam. However, no change in the glass transition of TEMs was observed with the CNF coating. SEM-based analysis revealed that CNFs were well dispersed throughout the volume of the TEMs matrix, forming a strong interface. Conclusions: Straightforward sonochemical method successfully triggered efficient coating of TEMs with CNFs, resulting in a strong adhesion interface. The mechanical properties of composite foams increased up to 2% of CNFs coating and then decreased with the higher coating, presumably due to interwoven bundles and aggregation of CNFs, which might have acted as critical flaws to initiate and propagate cracking. Thermal properties of foams increased with the CNFs coating while no change in glass transition temperature was observed due to coating.

Preparation of PP/SCF thermally conductive composites with forced‐assembled networks by multiple injection compression molding

AbstractA multiple injection compression molding (ICM) method was proposed on the basis of injection molding and applied for the preparation of polypropylene/short carbon fiber (PP/SCF) high thermally conductive composites in this article. During each injection compression cycle, the thickness of composite sample would be reduced effectively for better SCF orientation along the flow direction. Moreover, the original loose self‐assembled SCF networks obtained from injection process can furtherly transfer into much compact ones under the effect of compression force. The performance differences among SCF/PP composites prepared with one‐time injection molding (IM), multiple IM, and multiple ICM were also investigated. The SCF/PP composite sample prepared with multiple ICM method presented superior comprehensive performance, ~100% and 28% enhancements in thermal conductivity and tensile strength compared with the one‐time IM sample. We believe the multiple ICM method can provide a new idea for industrial production of functional polymer composites, especially for thermoplastic polymer composite.

3D printing of continuous carbon fiber reinforced polyphenylene sulfide: Exploring printability and importance of fiber volume fraction

Additive manufacturing (AM) of thermoplastic polymer composites is rapidly advancing in the aerospace industry. Here, fused deposition modeling (FDM) of continuous carbon fiber reinforced polyphenylene sulfide (CCF/PPS) was explored and involved experimental filaments with nominal fiber volume fractions (V f ) ranging from 30% to 50%. The printability was evaluated using a design of experiments to quantify the contribution of process parameters to the printed filament quality, which considered microstructure, surface texture and both the thermal and mechanical properties. Results showed that nozzle height, nozzle temperature, printing speed, and flow rate were most influential parameters to the printing process; the relative importance of the printing parameters depended on the V f . The filament with 50% V f was successfully printed despite its high fiber volume fraction and achieved an average ultimate tensile strength of 1930 ± 150 MPa, which sets a new benchmark in strength for composites developed by AM. Nevertheless, there are challenges to achieving that strength in printed components. • Fused filament fabrication of an experimental continuous carbon fiber reinforced polyphenylene sulfide. • High volume fraction of fibers achieves tensile strength approaching 2GPa. • Parametric dependence in printed material quality depends on fiber volume fraction.

Bamboo-Fiber-Reinforced Thermoset and Thermoplastic Polymer Composites: A Review of Properties, Fabrication, and Potential Applications.

Natural-fiber-reinforced composites, especially bamboo, are an alternative material to compete with conventional materials. Their environmentally friendly, renewable, low-cost, low-density, non-toxic, and fully biodegradable properties are concerning for researchers because of their advantages over synthetic polymers. This comprehensive review presents the results of work on bamboo fiber composites with special reference to bamboo types, thermoplastic and thermoset polymers matrices, hybrid composites, and their applications. In addition, several studies prove that these properties are very good and efficient in various applications. However, in the development of composite technology, bamboo fiber has certain constraints, especially in moisture conditions. Moisture is one of the factors that reduces the potential of bamboo fiber and makes it a critical issue in the manufacturing industry. Therefore, various efforts have been made to ensure that these properties are not affected by moisture by treating the surface fibers using chemical treatments.

Joining of Fibre-Reinforced Thermoplastic Polymer Composites by Friction Stir Welding—A Review

The objective of the current work is to show the potential of the friction stir welding (FSW) and its variants to join fibre-reinforced thermoplastic polymer (FRTP) composites. To accomplish that, the FSW technique and two other important variants, the friction stir spot welding (FSSW) and the refill friction stir spot welding (RFSSW), are presented and explained in a brief but complete way. Since the joining of FRTP composites by FSSW has not yet been demonstrated, the literature review will be focused on the FSW and RFSSW techniques. In each review, the welding conditions and parameters studied by the different authors are presented and discussed, as well as the most important conclusions taken from them. About FSW, it can be concluded that the rotational speed and the welding speed have great influence on heat generation, mixture quality, and fibre fragmentation degree, while the tilt angle only has residual influence on the process. The reduction of internal and external defects can be achieved by adjusting axial force and plunge depth. Threaded or grooved conical pins achieved better results than other geometries. Stationary shoulder tools showed better performance than conventional tools. Regarding the RFSSW, it has not yet been possible to deepen conclusions about most of the welding parameters, but its feasibility is demonstrated.

Synergistic effect of polyurethane‐coated carbon fiber and electron beam irradiation on the thermal/mechanical properties and long‐term durability of polyamide‐based thermoplastic composites

AbstractTo attain thermoplastic polymer composites with enhanced thermal and mechanical properties as well as long‐term durability, in this study, polyurethane‐coated carbon fiber (CF) and electron beam (EB) irradiation are adopted as an effective reinforcing filler and efficient crosslinking process, respectively. For this purpose, polyamide 6 (PA)‐based composites with different CF contents of 1–10 wt% were fabricated through melt‐compounding and compression molding, and then irradiated with various EB doses of 50–200 kGy. The SEM and FT‐IR data reveal that CFs are well dispersed in the PA matrix with excellent interfacial adhesion via specific intermolecular interactions, which are even enhanced for the composites with crosslinked PA matrices after the EB irradiation. As the result, the thermal stability (initial decomposition temperature and residue at 800°C) and dynamic mechanical properties of PA/CF composites increased noticeably with increasing the CF content and EB irradiation dose. The initial storage modulus of 1.90 GPa for neat PA at 30°C was improved significantly to 2.94 GPa by 10 wt% CF addition and to 4.67 GPa by 200 kGy EB irradiation. In particular, the long‐term mechanical properties of PA/CF composites, which were evaluated using a stepped isothermal method based on the time–temperature superposition principle, were found to be highly enhanced by the synergistic effect of CF filler reinforcement, EB‐induced PA matrix crosslinking, and improved interfacial adhesion.

Research progress on the quality and efficiency of carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic polymer composites processed by laser

Carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) has been widely used in aerospace, military weapons, new energy and high-end vehicles due to its specific and superior strength, low density and long-lasting wear resistance. The processing of CFRP is very different from the traditional metal processing because of its heterogeneous structure, anisotropy and superior wear resistance of CFRP. Usually, CFRP has often various defects in mechanical processing and water jet processing, such as interlayer tearing, fiber pull-out, delamination, tool wear, and abrasive penetration. Through laser processing, the problems of CFRP materials existing in mechanical processing can be overcome. However, due to the huge differences in thermal physical properties such as thermal conductivity and vaporization temperature of carbon fiber and resin in CFRP, its laser processing also turns out to have some issues, such as heat-affected zone and fiber end expansion. This paper summarizes the research results of CFRP laser processing in China and internationally. Research progress was introduced in detail from various aspects including laser and material mechanism as well as laser processing parameters. It reports the experimental and theoretical studies covering the process accuracy in edge quality and the thermal characteristics in terms of heat-affected zone. Eliminating the heat-affected zone in the polymer matrix are considered the major obstacles of CFRP industrial applications. The methods of improving processing efficiency by increasing material removal rate and reducing processing time were reviewed. The influence of different thermal conductivity of carbon fiber and resin matrix in CFRP on the processing quality was discussed. Finally, the development trend and challenges of thermal conductivity of carbon fiber and resin in CFRP in theoretical modeling were proposed.

Advances in oil palm shell fibre reinforced thermoplastic and thermoset polymer composites

Oil palm shell (OPS), one of the most abundantly produced solid bio-wastes in Southeast Asia, is yielded by crushing the oil palm kernel during palm oil extraction in the palm oil mills. Approaches have been devoted to developing the use of OPS as reinforcing filler in polymer composites to enhance the functional properties of composites. For OPS to be effective for reinforcing materials, its role and beneficial effects on the improvement of composites’ properties need to be investigated. However, not many studies have discussed the potentials of incorporating OPS in thermoplastic and thermoset polymer composite applications. This paper summarises the enhancement of composite characteristics, including physical, mechanical, thermal, water barrier and biodegradability properties. Properties of OPS that make it a good candidate as a reinforcing filler, such as tensile strength, impact strength, elongation, Young’s modulus, morphological and water absorption, are discussed in detail. In addition, the application of its derivative, challenges, and outlook are also discussed.

Study on the role of tannic acid–calcium oxide adduct as a green heat stabilizer as well as reinforcing filler in the bio‐based hybrid polyvinyl chloride–thermoplastic starch polymer composite

AbstractIn this study, we prepared a green heat stabilizer tannic acid–calcium oxide (TA–CaO) adduct in a green method and its efficacy was studied in a bio‐based polyvinyl chloride‐thermoplastic starch polymer matrix. The composite was prepared in a green pathway by melt mixing. CaO in the prepared complex also acted as a reinforcing filler in the composite. The addition of TA–CaO adduct in place of lead carbonate improved all the physical and chemical properties of the composite. The tensile strength and flexural strength improved to 102% and 127%, respectively, in comparison with similar percentage of lead carbonate and TA–CaO adduct. The composite with 15 phr loading of TA–CaO showed improved properties compared with other TA–CaO loaded composites.

Constitutive material model for the design and virtual testing of pressure vessel service equipment manufactured from thermoplastic fiber-reinforced polymer composites

In this study the short-fiber thermoplastic polymer composite is proposed to produce a pressure vessel service equipment used for the transportation of chemicals and dangerous goods. Mechanical tests show nonlinear response of this composite, including initial elastic stage of loading. To address the stress analysis problem, the constitutive material model was proposed and calibrated to describe the nonlinear elastic and elastoplastic behavior of the material with advantage of stiffness dependence on the realized stress state. Standard tension, compression and shear tests are sufficient for the determination of the model parameters in the simplest case, while the model accuracy increases with additional biaxial or triaxial stress state test data. A three-point bending test was proposed as a case of combined loading for model verification. The model was implemented into ABAQUS finite element solver via a user material subroutine for practical usage. The applicability of the model was demonstrated for the stress analysis of typical shut-off valve made of short-fiber composite. The variety of the stress states, which are typical for considered structure, was investigated in order to evaluate what types of experiments are required to improve the accuracy of the model.

Review: Filament Winding and Automated Fiber Placement with In Situ Consolidation for Fiber Reinforced Thermoplastic Polymer Composites.

Fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites are gaining popularity in many industries due to their short consolidation cycles, among other advantages over thermoset-based composites. Computer aided manufacturing processes, such as filament winding and automated fiber placement, have been used conventionally for thermoset-based composites. The automated processes can be adapted to include in situ consolidation for the fabrication of thermoplastic-based composites. In this paper, a detailed literature review on the factors affecting the in situ consolidation process is presented. The models used to study the various aspects of the in situ consolidation process are discussed. The processing parameters that gave good consolidation results in past studies are compiled and highlighted. The parameters can be used as reference points for future studies to further improve the automated manufacturing processes.

Migration Behavior of Lubricants in Polypropylene Composites under Accelerated Thermal Aging.

The surface migration of lubricants degrades the quality of thermoplastic polymer composites. In this study, the surface migration of lubricants in polypropylene composites were studied to improve the quality of the composites. Polypropylene (PP)/lubricant composites were manufactured using a co-rotating twin-screw extruder and injection molding, and the migration phenomena of the lubricant in the PP/lubricant composites were investigated under accelerated aging conditions with temperatures in the range of 20 to 90 °C and humidity of 100% for 72 h. The interrelation between the surface migration properties of PP/lubricant composites were investigated by considering their microstructural and morphological features, which were influenced by the thermal aging conditions. Further, the microstructural and morphological features were examined by contact angle, surface energy, attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, close-up digital imaging, and atomic force microscopy analyses. The polypropylene composites containing the magnesium stearate as the lubricant were found to exhibit a more stable migration behavior than the polypropylene composites containing a calcium stearate lubricant. This is attributed to multiple synergistic factors, such as interfacial tension and work of adhesion between PP and the lubricant. The findings of this study can be utilized to effectively manufacture high-quality thermoplastic composites for the fourth industrial revolution.

Impact resistance and interlaminar shear strength enhancement of carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites by introducing MWCNT-anchored carbon fiber

Nano-fillers such as multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) are incorporated into composites to improve their mechanical and electrical properties; however, MWCNTs are not applicable to carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic polymer composites (CFRTPs) due to the high viscosity and melting temperature of the thermoplastic resin. In this study, mass-producible MWCNT-anchored carbon fiber was developed and applied as a novel incorporation into CFRTPs. Functional groups were introduced on the MWCNTs and carbon fiber through acid and flame treatments, respectively, and were anchored by the esterification reaction of a coupling agent. The tensile strength, Izod impact resistance and interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) of MWCNT-anchored CFRTPs were investigated. An optimum concentration of and process method for MWCNT anchoring were suggested based on the results of this work. The anchored MWCNTs increased the interfacial bonding between the PA6 matrix and carbon fiber without increasing the viscosity of the thermoplastic resin. As a results, the impact resistance and ILSS of the CFRTPs were significantly improved by the anchored MWCNTs on the carbon fiber.

A Comprehensive Review on Optimal Welding Conditions for Friction Stir Welding of Thermoplastic Polymers and Their Composites.

Friction stir welding (FSW) and friction stir spot welding (FSSW) techniques are becoming widely popular joining techniques because of their increasing potential applications in automotive, aerospace, and other structural industries. These techniques have not only successfully joined similar and dissimilar metal and polymer parts but have also successfully developed polymer-metallic hybrid joints. This study classifies the literature available on the FSW and FSSW of thermoplastic polymers and polymer composites on the basis of joining materials (similar or dissimilar), joint configurations, tooling conditions, medium conditions, and study types. It provides a state-of-the-art and detailed review of the experimental studies available on the FSW and FSSW between similar thermoplastics. The mechanical properties of FSW (butt- and lap-joint configurations) and FSSW weld joints depend on various factors. These factors include the welding process parameters (tool rotational speed, tool traverse speed, tool tilt angle, etc.), base material, tool geometry (pin and shoulder size, pin profile, etc.) and tool material, and medium conditions (submerged, non-submerged, heat-assisted tooling, cooling-assisted tooling). Because of the dependence on many factors, it is difficult to optimize the welding conditions to obtain a high-quality weld joint with superior mechanical properties. The general guidelines are established by reviewing the available literature. These guidelines, if followed, will help to achieve high-quality weld joints with least defects and superior mechanical properties. Apart from parametric-based studies, the statistical-based studies (e.g., analysis of variance (ANOVA)-based studies) are covered, which helps with the determination of the influential parameters that affect the FSW and FSSW weld joint strength. Also, the optimal ranges of the most influential process parameters for different thermoplastic materials are established. The current work on the development of general guidelines and determination of influential parameters and their operating ranges from published literature can help with designing smart future experimental studies for obtaining the global optimum welding conditions. The gaps in the available literature and recommendations for future studies are also discussed.

Physico-Mechanical Properties of Composites Produced from Thermoplastic Polymers Filled with Egg Shell

The aim of this research is to develop environmentally friendly, lightweight composites using egg shell, as filler in some thermoplastic polymer matrices Polypropylene (PP), High Density Polyethylene (HDPE), Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene (ABS) and Polystyrene (PS) polymer; to determine the physico-mechanical properties of the egg shell agro-residue polymer composite, to find if there is any new improvement over the properties of the starting thermoplastic polymer composites.This research work studied the reinforcement potential of egg shell in thermoplastic polymers (HDPE, PS, PP and ABS). Egg shell was collected from the surroundings of Ekwulumili in Nnewi-South L.G.A of Anambra State, Eastern Nigeria where they have been dumped after usage. The research was carried-out at JUNENG NIG LIMITED Enugu, Civil Engineering Department Laboratory University of Nigeria and Chemical Engineering Department Laboratory Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Nigeria; between May 2016 and August 2018. The agro-wastes were grand into power and incorporated into the virgin thermoplastic polymers as filler at varied levels of 3%, 6%, 9%, 12% and 15%. The virgin thermoplastic polymers were used as the Control in the study. The mechanical properties of the composites produced were determined using American standard for Testing and Materials (ASTM), Standard Testing Methods. The results generally showed significant improvements in the physico-mechanical properties of the egg shell filler composites which were largely influence by the amount of filler in the composites. However, the water absorption capacities of the composites were found to be higher than those of the virgin thermoplastic polymers; an indication that egg shell reinforced at different percentage values are not compactable with polymer matrices due to the hydrophilic nature of natural fibers. HDPE at 15% (8.95%), 3% (4.28%), 9% (3.11%), 12% (0.88%) and 6% (0.85%) and Control (0.00%). PS, at 3% (8.24%), 6% (7.49%), 12% (2.18%), 9% (1.13%), 15% (0.49%) and Control (0.12%). PP, 9% (5.02%), 12% (3.99%), 3% (3.06%), 6% (0.78%) and 15% (0.67%) and Control (0.13%). ABS at 6% (5.52%), 12% (5.03%), 15% (1.50%), 3% (1.02%) and 9% (0.83%) respectively also had very high-water absorption than the Control (0.11%).
 Brinell hardness property of egg shell/polymer matrix composites had better values than the virgin polymer; HDPE value at 6% (39.48 N/mm2) > 3% (39.46 N/mm2) > 9% = 12% (39.40 N/mm2) > 15% (39.39 N/mm2) and Control (36.44 N/mm2). PS at 3% (39.60 N/mm2) > 6% (39.56 N/mm2) > 9% (39.54 N/mm2) > 12% (39.12 N/mm2) > 15% (38.85 N/mm2) respectively had higher brinell hardness above the Control (37.04 N/mm2). PP had value only at 3% (29.28 N/mm2) that showed lower brinell hardness; 6% (39.35 N/mm2) > 15% (37.55 N/mm2) > 9% (37.36 N/mm2) and > 12% (36.93 N/mm2) respectively showed higher brinell hardness than the Control (36.32N/mm2). ABS; 12% (39.54 N/mm2) > 6% (39.40 Nmm2) > 3% equal to 9% (39.39 N/mm2) and > 15% (39.35 N/mm2) respectively had better brinell hardness than the pure polymer. Abrasion results of all egg shell/polymer matrix composites used (exception of PS) showed poor abrasion values than the Control; For HDPE the value at 3% (29.47 g/s), 9% (25.03 g/s), 12% (23.54 g/s), 15% (23.13 g/s) and 6% (22.36 g/s) and Control (14.57 g/s). PS, at 12% (12.16 g/s), 3% (10.79 g/s), 6% (8.35 g/s),15% (6.69 g/s) and 9% (5.59 g/s) and Control (16.20 g/s). PP had at 12% (55.47 g/s), 6% (47.90 g/s), 3% (40.16 g/s), 9% (32.80 g/s) and 15% (22.11 g/s) and Control (18.02 g/s). ABS at 3% (15.05 g/s), 15% (87.52 g/s), 6% (24.10 g/s), 12% (22.08 g/s), 9% (21.07 g/s) and Control (17.39 g/s).
 The impact strengths absorbed higher amount of energy than the Control in PP, HDPE, ABS, 3%, 6%, 9% of PS, 3%, and 6% of PP in egg shell composites. HDPE at 12% (3.12 J/mm2) > 3% (2.95 J/mm2) > 6% (2.88 J/mm2) > 9% (2.35 J/mm2) > 15% (1.63 J/mm2) and Control (1.84 J/mm2). In PS, 3% (4.03 J/mm2) > 6% (2.86 J/mm2) > 9% (2.67 J/mm2) >12% (1.48 J/mm2) > 15% (1.25 J/mm2) and Control (1.98 J/mm2). PP at 6% (2.16 J/mm2) and 3% (1.63 J/mm2) showed higher impact strength while 15% (1.23 J/mm2) > 9% (1.08 J/mm2) > 12% (0.91 J/mm2) respectively showed lower impact strength than the Control. In ABS 15% (1.14 J/mm2) absorb lower energy while 9% (1.17 J/mm2) had equal value with control (1.17 J/mm2); at 12% (3.18 J/mm2), 6% (2.16 J/mm2), and 3% (1.38 J/mm2) respectively absorb higher energy than the Control. This study has provided different combinations of agro-waste/agro-residue thermoplastic polymer composites which has potential application in the automobile and building construction industry.