Effect of Redmud Particulates on Mechanical Properties of BFRP Composites

This article reports the effective usage of redmud (RM), an industrial waste, as a novel filler in polymer matrix. The composite has been fabricated with redmud as secondary reinforcement in banana fiber reinforced polyester (BFRP) using compression molding technique. The mechanical properties such as tensile, flexural and impact strength have been studied for different fiber weight percentage, weight percentage of red mud and chemical treatment of fiber. It is observed that the addition of 10 wt percent of redmud improves the impact and flexural properties for both NaOH, silane treated and untreated banana fiber but there is a decreased trend for tensile strength. It is also found that banana fiber particulate composites have superior mechanical properties than the banana/polyester. Addition of redmud to the banana fiber decreases the moisture absorption of the composites. The studies of the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) have been done to know the fracture mechanism.