Al Ichlas Imran, Januar Parlaungan Siregar, Tezara Cionita, Deni Fajar Fitriyana, Samsudin Anis, Rozanna Dewi, Thomas Junaedi, Etanto Heiliano Wijayanto, Wisnu Prayogo

Mechanical Performance of Epoxy Composite Reinforced with Wood Dust and Crumb Rubber Waste

Introduction

Mechanical performance of epoxy composite reinforced with wood dust and crumb rubber waste. Evaluate epoxy composites' mechanical performance using wood dust & crumb rubber waste. Find optimal filler fractions for enhanced tensile, flexural, and hardness. Key for composite development.

Abstract

The incorporation of wood dust and crumb rubber waste as filler in polymer matrix composite still requires in-depth evaluation of mechanical properties because they have different characteristics. This study evaluates the tensile, flexural, and hardness properties of epoxy composites reinforced with various fractions of wood dust and crumb rubber (5, 10, and 15%). The results showed that the composite with 5% crumb rubber produced the highest tensile strength of 15.52 MPa (CR5), while the highest flexural strength was 30.46 MPa (CR10), and the highest hardness was 75.9 HRC (CR15), indicating superior performance for CR fillers. The observations of the fracture surface showed that increasing the fraction of wood dust contributed to lowering the mechanical performance due to the relatively large distribution of voids and agglomeration. This finding confirms the importance of filler type and fraction selection on composite performance. Future research is recommended to explore filler surface modification and hybrid combinations to improve dispersion and bonding between phases in composites.

Review

This study presents a relevant investigation into the mechanical performance of epoxy composites reinforced with waste wood dust and crumb rubber, addressing a timely need for sustainable material development. The objective to systematically evaluate tensile, flexural, and hardness properties across various filler fractions (5, 10, and 15%) is well-defined. The research contributes to understanding how these distinct waste materials influence composite behavior, a critical area for optimizing material design and promoting circular economy principles in engineering applications. The paper highlights several key findings, particularly the superior performance achieved with crumb rubber fillers. Specific improvements in mechanical properties are clearly identified, with 5% crumb rubber yielding the highest tensile strength (15.52 MPa), 10% crumb rubber exhibiting the best flexural strength (30.46 MPa), and 15% crumb rubber achieving the maximum hardness (75.9 HRC). The inclusion of fracture surface observations provides crucial mechanistic insight, attributing the lower performance of wood dust composites to issues such as significant void distribution and agglomeration. This directly supports the conclusion regarding the critical importance of filler type and fraction selection. While the abstract effectively communicates the significant findings for crumb rubber, a more direct comparison or summary of the baseline epoxy performance and the best results achieved with wood dust fillers within the abstract itself would strengthen the argument for "superior performance for CR fillers." Nevertheless, the study successfully identifies key challenges related to filler dispersion and bonding. The recommendation for future research focusing on filler surface modification and exploring hybrid combinations is highly pertinent and offers clear pathways for addressing these limitations, thereby enhancing the overall mechanical performance of such sustainable composites.

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