Development of Epoxy Resin Composite Reinforced With Cow Horn and Cassava Particles for Car Dashboard

• P. B. Mogaji

  Mechanical Engineering Department, The Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria

• T. E. Abioye

  Mechanical Engineering Department, The Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria

• N. O. Ohuruogu

  Mechanical Engineering Department, Yaba College of Technolog y, Yaba, Lagos State, Nigeria

The development of composites from agro-based products is increasingly becoming popular in the field of materials processing. This has a number of benefits including improved economy, wealth creation from agro-wastes, and lighter weight of the developed composites. This work aims at developing cow horn - cassava peel particles reinforced epoxy resin composites using varying compositions of the reinforced particles. The basic production method employed is powder metallurgy process. This involved the preparation of the particles, mixing of the constituents in different ratio for particles compaction, and casting of the mixture. The microstructure of the developed composite was examined using optical microscopy. Thereafter, the hardness, tensile and flexural properties of the developed composites were investigated using Indenter digital hardness testing machine, and Instron universal testing machine. The result shows that the hardness increased as the amount of the cow horn particle increased giving a maximum of 55.2 HV at a composition of 4% cow horn: 6% cassava peel: 90% epoxy resin oft he composites. The tensile strength increased as the amount of the cow horn particle increased giving a maximum of 26.7 MPa at a composition of 4% cow horn: 6% cassava peel: 90% epoxy resin of the composites. The flexural increased as the amount of the cow horn particle increased giving a maximum of 122 MPa at a composition of 4% cow horn: 6% cassava peel: 90% epoxy resin of the composites. The two size ranges of the reinforced particles used in this work has a negligible effect on the hardness, tensile and flexural properties of the composites. The mechanical properties of the composite are in the range of values suitable for the making of car dashboard.

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