Fracture toughness of vinyl ester composites reinforced with sawdust and postcured in microwaves
- Ku, H.
- Prajapati, M.
- Trada, M.
DOIAbstract
A commercial vinyl ester resin supplied by Hetron Chemical Pty. was reinforced with varying percentages by weight of sawdust. The sawdust particles were sieved into 3 different sizes, which were <300 μm, 300–425 μm, and 425–1180 μm, respectively, with a view to increase its fracture toughness for civil and structural applications. The sawdust used varied from 0% w/t to 15% w/t in step of 5% w/t. For higher w/t% of sawdust, the mixture would be too sticky to be mixed and cast. The cast composites were cured in ambient conditions and then postcured in microwave irradiation. They were then tested for fracture toughness using short bar tests. The values of fracture toughness of the composites increased with increasing particulate size, and thi...
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