Analytical Investigation of Microcrystalline Wood Charcoal Reinforced Polyester Composites Using ED-XRF, FTIR and SEM-EDS Techniques

Abstract

Various weight fractions (ranging from 0 to 30 wt percent, at 5 wt percent intervals) of microcrystalline wood charcoal powder (75µm) were used to generate polyester-based particle reinforced composites. The developed wood charcoal (WC) particles reinforced polyester matrix composites were successfully characterized quantitatively, qualitatively, and functionally using an energy dispersive x-ray spectrophotometer (EDXRF), scanning electron microscope (SEM) enhanced with ancillary EDS for elemental identification capability and Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR). High peaks of Fe2O3 (3456cps/mA), CaO (4369cps/mA), CuO (2017cps/mA), ZnO (1646cps/mA) and Iron, calcium, copper, zinc were discovered in wood charcoal by EDXRF. The characteristics of reinforced polymer composites were found to be improved by these elements and oxides. The key elements revealed by EDXRF analysis were also validated by EDS elemental mapping. Due to the uniform distribution of the filler particles, SEM images showed that composites with microcrystalline wood charcoal reinforcement had strong interfacial adhesion and interlocking. According to FTIR functional analysis, interactions between the polyester matrix molecules and the microcrystalline wood charcoal fillers resulted in very slight alterations in the frequency bands of functional groups that are typically present in unsaturated polyester resin.