Study on Mechanical Behavior of Polymer based Composites with and without Wood Dust Filler

Abstract

Particulate fillers are of considerable interest, not only from an economic viewpoint, but as modifiers especially the physical properties of the polymer. A notable advance in the polymer industry has been the use of fiber and particulate fillers as reinforcements in polymer matrix. Over the last few decades, the considerable attention has been devoted towards wood dust filled polymer composites due to its many advantages. These include mainly the improved nvironmental performance, due to the use of biodegradable materials and the reduction in the use of non-renewable (oil based) resources throughout the whole life cycle of the composite; the low cost of wood flour; the lower specific weight of these fillers, in comparison to the traditional mineral-inorganic ones; the improvement in safety for the production employees and the special aesthetic properties of the composites. Although there are several reports in the literature which discuss the mechanical behavior of wood/polymer composites, however, very limited work has been done on effect of wood dust fillers on mechanical behavior glass fiber based polymer composites. Against this background, the present research work has been undertaken, with an objective to explore the potential utilization of wood dust filler as a reinforcing material in polymer composites and to investigate its effect on the mechanical behaviour of the resulting composites. Finally, the SEM analysis has been made on fractured surfaces of composites after different tests.