Paper Contents
Abstract
In this study, the influence of bio-based particulates as filler material in an epoxy polymer matrix was explored with respect to various mechanical properties. Epoxy resin was selected as the matrix material, while finely ground pistachio shell particles, with an average size of 50 microns, served as the bio-filler. Composite samples were prepared using the hand lay-up technique, incorporating different filler loadings ranging from 5 wt.% to 20 wt.%. The impact of varying filler concentrations on mechanical characteristics such as tensile strength, tensile modulus, flexural properties, compressive strength, and hardness was thoroughly analyzed. The findings revealed that the tensile strength of the composite increased with filler addition up to 10 wt.%, beyond which a decline was observed. However, the tensile modulus demonstrated a consistent rise across the entire range of filler content. A similar trend was observed in the flexural behavior of the material. In terms of compressive strength, a steady improvement was recorded with increasing filler concentration. Furthermore, the inclusion of pistachio shell particulates significantly enhanced the hardness of the composite, which showed a direct correlation with the filler content.
Copyright
Copyright © 2025 Rajendra Kumar Sahu. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License.
