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Studies on fly ash–filled epoxy‐cast slabs under compression
Author(s) -
Kulkarni S. M.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
journal of applied polymer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.575
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-4628
pISSN - 0021-8995
DOI - 10.1002/app.10507
Subject(s) - materials science , composite material , fly ash , epoxy , filler (materials) , compressive strength , context (archaeology) , compression (physics) , percolation theory , modulus , polymer , mathematics , topology (electrical circuits) , paleontology , combinatorics , biology
Filling a polymer with particulate material is generally attempted to improve the polymer properties and also realize some reduction in the cost. In the present work, we attempted to study the viability of using fly ash, an industrial waste with good mechanical properties, as a filler in epoxy. Initial low volumes of filler display an improvement in compressive strength and modulus. The experimental values of strength and modulus are also found to correlate well with those predicted by the rule of mixtures and modified Kerner's equation. At higher volume fractions, the decline in these properties is explained in the context of both percolation theory and Griffith's theory. The processes of failure initiation and propagation proposed are examined from the viewpoint of observations on the surfaces of compression‐failed samples in SEM. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 84: 2404–2410, 2002