The rapid growth in non-conventional energy resources leads to the development of Solar PV panels for harvesting solar energy. The disposal mechanism of PV panels passes through an initial phase when focusing on the waste to wealth concept. This work illustrates the recycling of photovoltaic panel glass powder as a microfiller material in glass fibre-reinforced polymer (GFRP) composites. The modified polymer composites were developed at varying weight percentages of filler/reinforcing materials. The Glass Fiber and ball-milled waste PV glass were used as reinforcements in the thermoset epoxy matrix. The composites were prepared using the conventional and cost-effective route of the hand layup method (HLM) at five varying weight percentages, such as 0%,3%,6%,9%, and 12%. The Tensile, Flexural, and Impact tests revealed that the addition of waste glass powder shows a significant improvement in mechanical performance at 6 wt.%. Tensile strength and tensile modulus increase by up to 43.53% and 21.47%, respectively, while Flexural strength and Flexural modulus increase by 37.48% and 39.64%, respectively, at 6 wt.%, compared to the pristine sample. Impact strength also shows the greatest improvement, 26.89% relative to the 0 wt.% laminate sample. Further FTIR and TGA analysis show that these composites could be utilised in flooring materials, lightweight automotive body parts, window panels, and road barriers. This work can be endorsed for solid waste recycling purposes in solar PV industries.
This study investigates the effects of particle size, filler concentration, and maleic anhydride (MA) treatment on the properties of high-density polyethylene (HDPE)/prickly pear powder (PPP) composites. Untreated PPP (UPPP) and MA-treated PPP (TPPP) were incorporated into the HDPE matrix at filler contents of 10, 20, and 30 wt% using two-roll mixing followed by compression molding. The resulting composites were characterized through FTIR, MFI, tensile, hardness, water-absorption, and optical microscopy analyses. FTIR results confirmed successful surface modification of PPP by MA, evidenced by reduced hydroxyl-group intensity and enhanced ester carbonyl absorption, indicating improved filler-matrix compatibility. Increasing filler content reduced MFI values, particularly for TPPP composites, due to restricted polymer-chain mobility and stronger interfacial interactions. Mechanical characterization showed that MA treatment significantly enhanced composite performance. Compared with neat HDPE, TPPP composites exhibited increases of approximately 77.8% in tensile strength and 38.7% in Young's modulus, together with higher hardness and improved impact resistance relative to untreated composites. Water absorption was markedly reduced after MA treatment owing to decreased filler hydrophilicity and improved interfacial adhesion. Optical microscopy revealed more uniform filler dispersion and fewer interfacial defects in TPPP composites. TPPP proved to be an effective and sustainable reinforcement for producing lightweight, high-performance HDPE composites.
Natural rubber constitutes a critical and largely irreplaceable raw material for the tire industry due to its sustainability, its broad applicability across diverse compound formulations in various tire components, and its relatively lower cost compared to alternatives. In recent years, the demand for natural rubber has steadily increased, primarily driven by rising production and consumption in the tire sector as well as in related industries. However, the environmental challenges associated with this growing demand have intensified concerns. Consequently, research efforts aimed at sourcing natural rubber from alternative and locally available resources have gained significant momentum and prominence. The rubber-based material used in this study was obtained from Gundelia tournefortii, which is an endemic herb raised mainly in the eastern part of T & uuml;rkiye. Initially, the latex from Gundelia tournefortii was collected from the cut body, the impurities were removed, and it was dried till solid form remained. The remaining solid form, as a rubber-based material, was then analyzed by various instrumental techniques and compared with commercial natural rubber obtained from the latex of the Hevea Brasiliensis tree. In the second part of the study, the rubber-based material was used in a standard compound recipe (ASTM D3184) by partially replacing natural rubber in varying proportions. Trial compounds containing the rubber-based material were evaluated in terms of their curing, mechanical and dynamic mechanical properties and compared with the control compound prepared by natural rubber only. Although amorphous, likely resinous, secondary structures reduce the reinforcement imparted by the rubber-based material, DMA analysis showed that rubber-based material at 10-20 phr levels in the standard compound recipe provided improvements in grip and structural response, while maintaining or reducing tan delta at 60 degrees C did not worsen rolling resistance.
Silica-reinforced natural rubber composites cured with sulfur and phenolic resin were prepared in this study. The properties were monitored through the rheological characteristics, mechanical strength, and dynamic mechanical analysis of the composites. Maximum torque and torque difference increased with silica loading in all cases, but the composites cured with phenolic resin showed greater changes. The composites cured with the phenolic resin also showed greater swelling resistance, crosslink density, stress at different strains, and tensile strength compared to composites with the sulfur system. The highest tensile strength was observed at 30 phr silica loading, with about 38% improvement for phenolic resin and about 6% for sulfur systems compared to their unfilled controls. Hydrogen bonding or condensation reactions possibly took place between phenolic resin and silica filler in the phenolic cured composites, whereas such interactions were absent in the cases with the sulfur system. This was confirmed by monitoring the silica aggregation and Payne effect. Although the phenolic resin is considered the second-choice system for silica-reinforced natural rubber composites. However, this study has demonstrated their performance as a system of choice for silica-based rubber composites.
Recent research has focused on the use of natural fiber/recycled plastic composites for industrial waste recycling and the reduction of environmental pollution. This study examines the development of recycled polyvinyl chloride-styrene-co-acrylonitrile copolymer blend (rPVC-SAN) filled with date palm fiber (DF). The composites were produced using a co-rotating twin-screw micro-extruder at processing temperatures ranging from 165 to 175 degrees C, followed by hot compression molding at 170 degrees C under a pressure of 300 bar for 10 min. The impact of fiber surface modification (alkali and silane treatments) on the mechanical, morphological, and water absorption properties of the composites was investigated. The rPVC-SAN-DF composites exhibited superior interfacial characteristics following surface treatment. Then, the impact of DF surface treatment on composite characteristics was assessed. In addition, the adhesion of rPVC-SAN-DF composites after various treatments was investigated. Due to its strong interfacial interaction and the interaction involving the alkoxy group of silane coupling agents and the nitrile group in SAN, the combined alkali-silane composite (BC-NaSi) outperformed other composites in mechanical properties. This resulted in the SAN accumulating at the interface between components and diminished the hydrophilicity of DF. Specifically, compared to the untreated composite, the BC-NaSi composite exhibited maximum improvements of 30% in tensile strength, 40% in tensile modulus, 24% in flexural strength, and 38% in flexural modulus. Scanning electron micrographs (SEM) revealed that the BC-NaSi composite has a rough surface with many exposed fibers, supporting the hypothesis that alkali-silane-treated fibers may improve interfacial bonding. The rheological properties of the composites were tested using dynamic shear rheology. The treated fiber composite demonstrated improved rheology. At low frequencies both the complex viscosity (3.06 & times; 105 Pa. s) and the storage modulus (13.24 GPa) were increased in the BC-NaSi composite. Finally, the water uptake performance of the composites was studied. After 2, 4, and 6 weeks, the BC-NaSi composite still had the lowest water uptake at 4.02%, 4.22%, and 4.37%, respectively. The results illustrate the potential of using agricultural waste fibers in recycled polymer composites to produce sustainable materials with enhanced performance for structural, electrical, and packaging applications.
