1 research outputs found
Characterization of polymer–quarry dust composite for structural applications
This study explores the utilization of quarry dust in producing polymer composite for roofing tiles application. Quarry dust was incorporated into high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and polypropylene (PP) in various weight proportions (5Â %, 20Â %, 40Â %, 60Â %, and 80Â %). Experimental tests that were conducted include the melt flow index (MFI), microstructural analysis, water absorption, Shore D hardness, and Charpy impact strength. The PP+60Â wt.% quarry dust had the highest MFI value of 24.5Â g/10Â min hence easy to process. The water absorption for 60Â % and 80Â wt.% composition was found to be significantly high as compared to other proportions. The Shore D hardness increases with an increase in the amount of quarry dust with the highest Shore D hardness value of 82 attained for samples having 80Â wt.% quarry dust. For the impact strength, only 5Â wt.% composition of quarry dust in both polymer composites had a higher value than the pure polymer with PP+5Â wt.% quarry dust exhibiting a higher impact strength of 69.6Â kJ/m2. This work demonstrates that the properties of waste plastics can be improved by using quarry dust as reinforcement, suiting green construction applications such as the production of roofing tiles