Production of Polyester CompositeMaterial Using Pine Cone Powderas Reinforcement

Abstract

Natural fiber reinforced polymer composites have much potential as a progressive material in many industrial applications. Although pine cones have fibril morphology and good mechanical properties they are rarely used as reinforcement in polymer composites. In this study, polymer matrix composites were produced using pine cone waste as reinforcement and polyester as polymer matrix with the casting method. Before mixing the polyester and filler the pine cones were chemically treated to avoid weak coherence between the natural fibers and polymer matrix and to clean their surface and corroborate binding with the polymer. Some mechanical and physical properties of composite materials were analyzed and the composites tested to determine their flexural strength, elastic modulus and hardness. Physical features such as density and water absorption were also investigated. Increasing the ratio of pine cone filler led to an increase in flexural strength values and a decrease of elastic modulus. Chemical treatment applied to pine cones reduced the increasing ratio of flexural strength and also the decreasing ratio of elastic modulus. Increasing the amount of cones reduced the impact strength and was supported by increasing the amount of open porosity. This was because the high amount of pine cone increased both the porosity of the composite and water absorption.