Synthesis and characterization of bio silica toughened epoxy composite coating material for air duct undergoing cyclic pressure and thermal fatigue

Abstract

Epoxy based bio-silica dispersed polymer coating material was developed for protecting the air-duct undergoing thermal and mechanical fatigue like in environmental control system of aircraft. The objective of this present investigation was to develop a novel system of epoxy resin composite coating material using bio-degradable sustainable filler material for improvising the life span with economic and eco-friendly method. The bio- silica particle was prepared from rice husk bio waste via thermo-chemical process. The prepared bio-silica particle was confirmed for its size and crystal structure analysis using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope. The thermo-chemical prepared bio-silica particle was further silane treated for improving the adhesion and dispersion in matrix. The silane attachment on the particle surface was confirmed using FTIR spectra analysis. The composite coating material was further prepared using 1, 2 and 4vol.% of bio-silica particle using shear mixing process at room temperature. The prepared composites were sectioned to ensure their effectiveness via various characterizations and testing. The samples were tested based on ASTM standards. The FTIR results revealed that the silane treated process was successfully grafted the amino functional group on particle surface. The X-ray diffraction results confirmed the simple cubic structure and crystalline form of bio-silica. Similarly, the silane treated bio-silica particles are pore free and uniform in size. The tensile and flexural results revealed that the addition of as-received bio-silica particle produced not significant results; whereas the silane treated bio-silica improved the tensile and flexural strength. newline