Experimental Investigation of Dynamic Elastic Properties of Reinforced Coconut Shell Powder/Epoxy Resin Composites

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate experimentally the dynamic elastic behavior of a coconut shell powder filler reinforced epoxy resins composite of different filler sizes and volume fractions. The dynamic mechanical analysis of coconut shell powder reinforced epoxy composites was carried out with special reference to the effect of filler loading, and temperature. The result showed that the core properties of the components, morphology of the system and the nature of interface between the phases determine the dynamic mechanical properties of the composite. Below the glass transition temperature, the storage modulus was generally found to increase with increasing weight fraction of the reinforcing filler and a reverse trend as temperature rose through the glass transition temperature. The loss modulus was generally seen to decrease with decreasing filler weight fraction for temperatures below the glass transition point and vice versa. Moreover, the curves for loss modulus were seen to shift to lower temperatures with increasing filler content, signifying a decreasing glass transition temperature with increasing filler content. The damping factor was seen to decrease in magnitude with increasing content of filler, with a trend of the peak values shifting to the lower temperatures.