Abstract:Polymer composites, such as those composed of a polyester, glass fibers (GFs), and mineral fillers (e.g. CaCO 3 ), pose a threat to the environment because of the growing amount of residues and due to difficulties in their recycling. Therefore, we have studied effects of incorporation of (polyester + GFs) waste material as a filler into virgin composites. Two types of polyester + glass fiber composites were developed using hot compression molding, one of them with recycled (polyester + glass fiber) material ob… Show more
The main goal of this study is to evaluate the potential of waste stone powders as filler in composite materials with a matrix of unsaturated polyester. These wastes are generated in the form of stone fragments and stone‐cutting sludge. Ground marble wastes are thoroughly characterized with the aim to use them as fillers: Mineralogical and chemical composition, particle size distribution, and morphology of these waste stone powders are investigated. Unsaturated polyester resin composites with the different stone powder fillers are prepared. The influence of powder type on the composites’ mechanical properties (tensile, bending, impact, and hardness characteristics), water resistance, thermal stability as well as surface fracture morphology of composites are studied. The moduli of the composites increase by 100%, the hardness of the composites may be improved by 80% upon loading with the “waste” filler, leading to an economical material and helping to reduce waste.
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