Compression Strength of Aqueous Media Exposed Epoxy System Containing Silane Surface Bearing Fly Ash Particles

Abstract

Neat epoxy (NE) and epoxy system with different volume fractions of fly ash fillers with their surfaces treated by silane bearing material were made and the responses to exposure by immersion in varying aqueous media, such as plain water (PW), seawater (SW) and seawater containing small amount of dilute hydrochloric acid (SWA) maintained at 80°C, established through weight measurements recorded up to 100 h on the test coupons. Further on, the 100 h exposed samples were subjected to compression tests to evaluate the strength. The results showed that both NE and the silane treated ash bearing composites generally exhibited the highest water absorption in SWA case and the lowest in SW media, with the water absorption level for PW case falling in between. When the ash content in the composite is very large, the water absorption levels tend to be lower for both SW and SWA. The data further showed that unexposed samples recorded less strength compared to the exposed ones. In the case of exposed samples, in all the media employed, as the ash content increases the strength also increases. Further, it was noticed that the samples exposed to SW showed higher strength than the corresponding values noticed with SWA case. Lower strength was found in samples immersed in PW case. Attempts to explain these differing trends are made in this effort by analyzing the features observed on the surface of compression failed samples using fractography technique employing scanning electron microscope (SEM).

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

1. Giuseppe, M., Giorgio, B. and Paolo, S. (1994). J. Reinf. Plast. Compos., 13(8): 681-697 .

2. Lee, Stuart M. (ed.) (1990). International Encyclopaedia of Composites, Vol. 3, p. 148, VCH Publishers, Inc., New York .

3. Mehta, R.K.S. (1993). In: Proceedings of the 9th Annual High Performance Blow Molding Conference 1993, pp. 313-329 , Soc. of Plastics Engineers, Brookfield, CT, USA.

4. Torrey, S. (ed.), (1978). Coal Ash Utilisation - Fly Ash, Bottom Ash and Slag, Noyes Data Corporation, N. J., U.S.A.

5. Kumar, Aravind (1996). In: Proceedings of National Seminar on Fly Ash Utilisation, p. 64 , Neyveli, India.

6. Palani, M. and Peter James, J. (1996). In: Proceedings of National Seminar on Fly Ash Utilisation, p. 260 , Neyveli, India.

7. Raghunath, P.N., Ramu, P.L., Kumaran, G. and Manoharan, A. (1996). In: Proceedings of National Seminar on Fly Ash Utilisation, p. 216 , Neyveli, India.

8. Sankaran, V.S. and Nagulan, N. (1996). In: Proceedings of National Seminar on Fly Ash Utilisation, p. 232 , Neyveli, India.

9. Dhanabaln, S. (1996). In: Proceeding on National Seminar on Fly Ash Utilisation, p. 183 , Neyveli, India.

10.

10. Das, T.B., Biswas, D. and Mukharjee, S.N. (1996). In: Proceedings on National Seminar on Fly Ash Utilisation, p. 191 , Neyveli, India.

11.

11. Gupta, R.L., Chandra, Dinesh, Bhise, N.N. and Jain, S.K. (1996). In: Proceedings of National Seminar on Fly ash Utilisation, p. 206 , Neyveli, India.

12.

12. ASTM C 618 Standard Specification for Coal Fly Ash and Raw or Calcined Natural Pozzolon for Use as a Mineral Admixture in Portland Cement Concrete.

13.

13. Sivapullaiah, P.V., Prashanth, J.P. and Sridharan, A.J. (1995). Testing and Eval., 23: 222-227 .

14.

14. Zoumut, H.F. (1993). In: Proceedings, Symposium on Polymer - Modified Hydraulic Cement Mixtures and Mortars Philadelphia, pp. 19-33 PA, USA.

15.

15. Ferrigno, T.H. (1978). Handbook of Fillers and Reinforcements for Plastics, In: Katz, H.S and Milewski, J.V. (eds.), Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., New York .

16.

16. Ahmed, S. and Jones, F.R. (1990). J. Mater. Sci., 25: 4993 .

17.

17. Ranney, M.W., Berger, S.E. and Marsden, J.G. (1974). In: Pleuddemann, E.P. (ed), Interfaces in Polymer Matrix Composites, In: Broutman, L.J. and Krock, R.H. (eds.), Composite Materials, Vol. 6, Academic Press, New York .

18.

18. Springer, G.S. (ed.), (1984). Environmental Effects on Composite Materials, Vols. 1 and 2, Technomic Pub. Co., Pennsylvania .

19.

19. Bradley, W.L. (1994). In: Proceedings of Conference on Composites Manufacturing and Tooling, Anheim, CA, USA.

20.

20. Bunsell, A.R. (1995). Revue de 1’Institut Francais du Patrole, 50: 61.

21.

21. Horne Wiley, R.A. (ed.), (1972). Water and Aqueous Solutions Structures, Thermodynamics and Transport Processes., 2nd edn, p. 245.

22.

22. Clyde Day, M. and Selbin, Joel (1971). Theoretical Inorganic Chemistry, pp. 103-154, 2nd edn, Pub. Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, New York, U.S.A.

23.

23. Xiao, G.Z. and Shanahan, M.E.R. (1998). Polymer, 39: 3253 .