Publications

Abstract : The natural filler particulate composite usage is seen in various applications in recent years due its eco-friendly nature. Synthetic fibers such as glass, carbon etc., have been widely used in fiber reinforced composites due to its high specific strength. But non-biodegradable nature of polymers and high cost of production leads to search of new kind of materials. The natural particulates obtained from various sources are used to prepare composite materials. Rice husk, ground nut shell particulate, cashew nut shell are some of the natural fillers obtained from agriculture residue. Algae filler is one of the abundantly available natural filler from oceans and inorganic sources, having a large diverse group of photosynthetic organisms. In this work, composite plates were prepared with vinyl ester resin with different volume fraction of algae filler (5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%). According to ASTM standard, five test specimens were cut and Mode I fracture toughness test was carried out. Test results exhibited significant improvement in fracture toughness value for the increase in volume fraction of algae filler in vinyl ester material.