Mechanical properties of eggshells powder reinforced recycled high-density polyethylene

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of thermal treated eggshells powder on the mechanical properties of recycled high-density polyethylene (r-HDPE) composite. Thermal treated eggshellspowder, which was labelled as carbonised eggshells powder (CESP), was prepared at a low pyrolysis temperature of 400°C for one hour. The mechanical performance of the polymer composite reinforced with CESP was compared with the untreated dried raw eggshells powder (ESP) reinforced polymer composite. Each composite sample was prepared with a weight ratio of r-HDPE/filler varied at 90/10, 80/20, and 70/30. The polymer composite was prepared through a melt blending method in an internal mixture at 175° at 32 RPM mixing rate. The composite samples were tested flexural analysis, while structure and morphology were characterised using Fourier Infrared Transformer (FTIR) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Based on the finding, the interfacial adhesion of the composite between filler and matrix has improved with ESP and CESP, respectively. The composite with CESP filler at 70/30 shows the optimum flexural strength and modulus of 32.21 MPa and 2.06 GPa, respectively. Overall, the introduction of CESP offers a better performance in improving the mechanical properties of the composite as compared to ESP.