Effect of Duck Eggshell Powder as a Reinforcement on Dynamic Mechanical Properties of Epoxy Composites

Abstract

After a duckling hatches from an egg, the empty eggshell is usually discarded as waste or used as natural fertilizer due to their high calcium content. Utilization of waste materials in polymer composite is increasing day by day mainly due to environmental considerations and waste management. Owing to its rich content of calcium carbonate, renewability, and availability and cost-effectiveness, duck eggshells can be used as natural filler in polymer composite and it is future potential resource for the polymer industry (1). The present study is focused on to analyze the influence of duck eggshell powder as a filler with epoxy polymer on the dynamic mechanical behavior. Therefore, this focus is an effort to explore the potential application of waste duck eggshell powder for the first time as a natural filler in epoxy composites. Five dissimilar composites were fabricated by filling different wt% of duck eggshell powder and epoxy. The composites are manufactured by open mold method. The manufactured composite samples then were subjected to dynamic mechanical test. Specimens cut and tested in relation to ASTM standards. The test showed fluctuation behavior with a positive indication at 4% increment was filled with four independent ratios (4, 8, 12 and 16 wt. %) of eggshell powder. The results showed that duck eggshell powder (DESP) fillers’ have potential usage as a natural filler to develop the thermal resistance of the epoxy polymer (EP) matrix composites, thereby reducing costs and minimizing the environmental issues caused by waste eggshells. To be specific, storage modulus, loss modulus, damping factor and phase transition temperature were analyzed through dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). The results revealed that storage modulus of the composites decreases as the temperature increases. Although, the composite containing 12% eggshell powder attained a higher storage and loss modulus. These newly developed composite material are being initiated for a range of automotive applications.