Odhong O.V. Edward
Multimedia University of Kenya, Kenya
Title: Recovering mechanical strengths of fractured rice husks fibre reinforced polypropylene composites by injection repair using healing agents
Biography
Biography: Odhong O.V. Edward
Abstract
Composite materials are widely used in civil construction, automobiles, space and aircraft applications, naval manufacturing and many others. They are manufactured by combining two dissimilar materials into a new material sharing at the interface and are better suited for a particular application than either of the original material constituents. In this research, rice husk fibres were procured and prepared by hammer milling, heated to reduce moisture content and surface modification carried out to increase adhesion by the matrix. Polypropylene wastes were collected, shredded and used as matrix. Flat composite test pieces were produced by film stacking technique and round composite test pieces were produced by injection moulding. Destructive tests were conducted according to various respective standards and mechanical performance was compared with existing published results. Those test pieces fractured by compressive, impact and tensile destructive tests were repaired through healing by use of plant based and polymer based healing agents and then retested for recovered respective strengths. Recovered strengths were: compressive 151 MPa, impact 61 J/mm2 and tensile 69 MPa. In comparison with strengths from pristine test pieces, the healed test pieces had sufficient strength to support their structural reuse. This research developed a repair method for fractured rice husk fibre reinforced polypropylene composite that would enable their reuse to further complement timber.