Abstract

Industrial by-products especially inorganic oxides / silicates are cost effective particulate fillers preferred to develop low-cost, structural polymer composites and in turn promote the effective utilization of such by-products towards sustainable environment. In this work, Jarosite, chemically a ferro-silicate sulphate and a by-product produced by the zinc alloy processing industries, is reused as inorganic fillers for designing polyester polymer matrix structural composites. Cement is also blended with jarosite as a co-filler and stabilizer to make polyester composites. Curing studies of unsaturated polyester resin were first conducted with various percentage loading of jarosite and jarosite/cement blends by varying initiator concentrations. The workability of the polyester resin was systematically evaluated and optimized in terms of rheology, curing temperature and time. Composites were made by casting route and the end-products were assessed for the microstructure and mechanical properties such as compressive strength, mechanical wear in addition to water absorption and chemical stability. Results were correlated with the filler-matrix interaction with respect to filler loading. Polyester polymer matrix composites made with jarosite and cement reinforcements produce mechanically durable structural composites that can be used as alternative to the natural wood-based industrial products such as panels and boards needed in construction applications.

Keywords:Jarosite; Polyester resin; Polymer composites; Particulate filler; Curing; Tribology properties