PRODUCTION AND QUALITY ASSESSMENT OF AUTOMOBILE COMPOSITE PART (EXHAUST PIPE SUSPENDER) FROM NATURAL RUBBER FILLED WITH CHEMICALLY TREATED RICE HUSK

The research is on the manufacture of automobile part (exhaust suspender) from natural rubber filled with chemically treated rice husk powder. Rice husk were obtained from a mill in Auchi, Edo State, Nigeria and shared into four parts. They were separately treated with 10% benzoyl chloride, 10% sodium hydroxide and 10% hydrogen peroxide and one part was untreated. The various samples were ground, filtered, analyzed in terms of FTIR and SEM then used in compounding natural rubber. The rubber vulcanizates were vulcanized and the mechanical properties were determined. The FTIR results show the reduction in hemicellulose and lignin content for the treated rice husk while the SEM micrograph showed a finer structure for the treated rice husk. This may suggest stronger reinforcement observed in the composites filled with treated filled. There was improvement in mechanical properties of the composites. This show that chemically treated rice husk is a potential substitute for other fillers for automobile exhaust suspender or foot mat and oil seals