IMPROVED MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF FIBRE REINFORCED POLYMER COMPOSITE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING APPLICATIONS

Continuous scientific development in the area of environmentally sustainable polymers and polymer composites has been observed in the last decade owing to polymers' reliance on fossil fuels and the sustainability of plastic waste. Polymeric composite fabrics include polymers base matrix comprising fillers and additives. They have a broad variety of uses from packaging, spacecrafts, =art or advanced polymers to nano-based fibre and biological implants. Different polymers used as matrix material to prepare composites with better mechanical, thermal and electrical properties include polyester, polyamide, etc. Increasing consumer interest has contributed to the production and design of biodegradable composite materials. The polymers are nowadays considered as among the most promising materials to solve environmental problems. In this experiment, the mechanical properties and tribological behaviour of glass fibre composite reinforced with Al2O3 and polyester resin were evaluated. Polymer composites are made using hand-lay technique in varying weight concentrations of Al2O3 and polyester resin. Experimental studies found mechanical properties of composites are significantly increased by enhanced percentage of reinforcing particles with glass fibre.