Effect of brachyura shell particles on glass fibre reinforced epoxy polymer composite

• Main Authors: Vara Prasad, G., Nagappa, S., Ravi Kanth, Y., Gopi Lakshmi, I., Babu Rao, J.
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Subjects: Crab shell/E-glass fiber; Epoxy Hybrid composite; Mechanical properties; PMCs; SEM studies
• ISSN: 2214-7853; 2214-7853
• DOI: 10.1016/j.matpr.2020.10.521

Bio filler E-glass fiber reinforced hybrid polymer composites having massive demand in the present scenario due to their excellent mechanical properties and also increasing of environmental awareness. Bio fillers like crab shell powder, sawdust, prawn shell powder, rice husk are the best substituent for glass, carbon, ceramic, synthetic fillers. Every year, 8.5 million tons of crab & shrimp shell waste generated in India. To manage this waste it was used as a filler material along with the E-glass fiber with epoxy. Polymer composite due to crab shell chemical similarity with CaCO3.In the present study crab shell powder with various fractions (0%, 3%, 5%, and 7%) & e-glass fiber was composed to prepared hybrid polymer composites by adopting wet hand lay-up process, followed by 24 hr curing at room temperature. Crab shell powder reinforced hybrid polymer composites density, SEM studies and mechanical properties (hardness, tensile strength, flexural strength and impact strength) were determined as per ASTM standards. The density of the hybrid polymer composites increased with increasing the weight fraction of the crab shell powder. The higher mechanical properties were obtained at 5% crab shell powder filler composite.