PET Waste as Reinforcement in Epoxy -Glass Microballoon Syntactic Foams

摘要

Epoxy based syntactic foams are formed by incorporationof hollow glass microballoons in an epoxy matrix. These classes ofcomposites are characterized by high specific mechanical propertiescoupled with light weight features. In view of these interestingproperties, epoxy syntactic foams are used in structural, automotiveand in buoyant applications. In order to amplify the applicationrange of these epoxy syntactic foams, reinforcements are added.Besides increasing the mechanical properties, this leads to an addedconcern of increasing the cost of such foams which prevents themfrom being used in certain applications where cost is a majorconstraint. In this study, waste PET fibres have been utilized as analternative to the costly reinforcements, for the fabrication of epoxysyntactic foams. The sources of waste PET fibres are the emptybeverage bottles collected from waste. When left undisputed, they area major cause of concern to the environment. The PET bottles arecollected, washed and dried prior to their shredding to form staplefibres.