ABSTRACT
The disposal of paper mill sludge waste generated by the paper industry is a tough and challenging task. In this work, an attempt is made to develop various value-added products namely bricks, briquettes, ground chakra base, and eco-friendly composites from the secondary paper mill sludge (PMS). The secondary PMS was initially dewatered to remove the moisture content, ground to powder, and mixed with cement, MSand. quarry dust, and fly ash to produce bricks. The brick specimens were tested for compressive strength, water absorption, and efflorescence as per the standards and found to be 5.29 ± 0.11 N/mm2, 3.84 ± 0.13% respectively, and have NIL efflorescence. The PMS is mixed with paraffin wax and compressed in a squeeze moulding to form briquettes and observed that the percentage of ash content in the briquette is 66.6% which is less than that of the PMS. Further, a ground chakra base is produced using a slurry of starch and dried in a heater at 60° exhibiting better properties. An eco-friendly composite pottery product was developed by mixing PMS, clay, and starch and tested for breakage.
ABSTRACT
The exploration of new natural fibers in the field of polymer composites can contribute to increase the invention of natural reinforcements and expand their use in possible applications. In the present work, the physico-chemical, thermal, tensile and morphological properties of Furcraea foetida (FF) fiber are presented for the first time. Chemical analysis results shows that FF has relatively higher cellulose (68.35%) with lower hemicelluloses (11.46%) and lignin (12.32%). Structural analysis of FF was conducted by Fourier transform infrared and 13C (CP-MAS) nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis evidenced that FF has crystallinity index of 52.6% with crystalline size of 28.36nmThe surface morphology of FF was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray micro analyzer (EDX) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) reveals thermal constancy of the fiber upto 320.5°C with the kinetic activation energy of 66.64kJ/mol, which can be used as reinforcements in thermoplastic green composite whose working temperatures is below 300°C. The FF results were compared with those of other natural fibers, and indicated as a suitable alternative source for composite manufacture.
