Mechanical and thermal properties of boric acid and paper mill sludge reinforced polyester composites

Abstract

This study is aimed to produce polymer composite materials with low thermal conductivity coefficient and high mechanical strength. Therefore, different rates of boric acid and paper mill sludge were added to the polyester matrix and the composite materials were characterized in terms of mechanical and thermal properties. Based on the experimental results, the highest bending strength (21.83 MPa) was achieved in the presence of 5% paper mill sludge and 3% boric acid. Compared to the reference, the decomposition temperatures of composites increased with the addition of additives. Also, the densities of composites ranged from 1.141 g/cm3 and 1.409 g/cm3. The additives of paper mill sludge and boric acid decreased the thermal conductivity coefficient of composites and lowest coefficient of thermal conductivity was reported as 0.61 W/mK. Consequently, boric acid and paper mill sludge additions enhance the mechanical and thermal properties of polyester-based composite material. © 2024 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.