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Fabrication and Study of Mechanical Properties of Orange PEEL Reinforced

Polymer Composite

Article · December 2012

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Caspian Journal of Applied Sciences Research, 1(13), pp. 190-194, 2012
Available online at http://www.cjasr.com
ISSN: 2251-9114, ©2012 CJASR

Full Length Research Paper

Fabrication and Study of Mechanical Properties of Orange PEEL Reinforced

Polymer Composite
Shakuntyala Ojha1*, Gujjala Raghavendra2, Samir Kumar Acharya3, Praveen kumar4
1*
Mechanical Department, NIT Rourkela,Odisha, INDIA.
2
Mechanical Department, NIT Rourkela,Odisha, INDIA
3
Mechanical Department, NIT Rourkela,Odisha, INDIA, INDIA
4
Mechanical Department, NIT Rourkela,Odisha, INDIA, INDIA
*
Corresponding Author: e-mail: shaku30@gmail.com, 91 7873181727

Received 5 October 2012; Accepted 20 November 2012

During the last few years, utilization of natural bio-fruit waste have received much more attention than ever
before from the research community all over the world. Utilization of natural fruit waste reduces the
environmental problems and more effectively some of the fibers giving almost equal strengths and resistance as
given by traditional synthetic fibres. Several research efforts have been put to study the mechanical properties of
the epoxy composites, focusing mainly on fibers and their weight percent’s within the composites. In this work a
set of new composite were prepared with varying the weight fraction of particles (orange peel) and a set of
Experiments were carried out to study the tensile, flexural and hardness of the composites. The experimental
samples were studied by Scanning Electron microscope.

Key words: orange peel, tensile, flexural, SEM

1. INTRODUCTION the most important classes of thermosetting

polymers which are widely used as matrices for
Over the last century, Cellulosic fibres, like fiber-reinforced composite materials and as
henequen, sisal, coconut fibre (coir), jute, palm, structural adhesives (Zhikai et al., 1997; Shangjin
bamboo, orange peels, wood, paper in their natural et al., 2001; Potter, 1970; May and Tanaka, 1973;
condition, as well as several waste cellulosic Bauer, 1983). A polymer composite has been used
products such as shell flour, wood flour and pulp in different areas like military, aerospace,
have been used as reinforcement agents of automotive, electrical and electronics etc. A lot of
different thermosetting and thermoplastic resins research has been done on bio particles reinforced
(George et al., 2001; Varghese et al., 1994; polymer composites but research on orange peels
Ahlblad et al., 1994; Geethamma et al., 1995; particles fillers based polymer composites is very
Hornsby et al., 1997; Mi et al., 1997; Coutinho et rare and there is little information available on the
al., 1997; Oksman et al., 1998). mechanical and tribological behavior of fruit
These waste fibres could be profitably used in waste. Abdul Khalil et.al (2008) to characterize the
the manufacture of fibre or particulates polymer epoxy composite filled with the bio-based fillers
reinforced composites because they posses like bamboo stems, coconut shells and oil palm
attractive physical and mechanical properties fiber bunches.
(Cazaurang-Martı´nez et al., 1991). They impart The orange peels have good thermal and
the composite high specific stiffness and strength, chemical properties which have shown in table 1.
high carbon content, low density, high toughness, When it contact with any other material surface
non-corrosive nature, good thermal properties, then some heat will be crate due to friction. In that
reduced tool wear, less abrasion to processing place no need to supply any lubricant because
equipment, renewability and biodegradability orange peels act as self lubricant because it
(Lawton and Fanta, 1994; Joshi et al., 2004; contains some oil in its outer part.
Singha et al., 2004). Epoxy resins (ER) are one of

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 Ojha et al.
Fabrication and Study of Mechanical Properties of Orange PEEL Reinforced Polymer Composite

Table 1: Properties of orange peels

Fixed carbon 56.55
Adsorption efficiency 32.00
Ash content 1.50 ± 0.1
Cellulose 13.61 ± 0.6
Hem cellulose 6.10 ± 0.2
Lignin 2.10 ± 0.3

In this work a set of new composite were tests were performed with a constant strain rate of
prepared using various weight fractions of orange 0.5 mm/min.
peels particulates as filler in polymer epoxy
composite and their mechanical properties like 2.4. Flexural Strength
tensile and flexural tests using three point bend test
have been studied and reported in this paper. Flexural test were performed using 3-point bending
method according to ASTM D790-03 standard
2. MATERIALS AND METHODS procedure. The specimens were tested at a
crosshead speed of 0.5mm/min. The span length
2.1. Preparation of composite of test specimen used is 100 mm. The test was
conducted on the same machine used for tensile
The orange peels were collected locally and then testing. The flexural stress in a three point bending
sun dried for 5 days to remove the moisture from test is found out by using equation.
the peels after drying they were grind to powder
form and were sieved. The particle size chosen for 3FL
the experiments was 212+ microns. These  
2bt 2 (2)
particulates are then reinforced in the mixture of
epoxy resin (LY556) and hardener (HY951) with a
ratio of 10:1. The composite slabs are made by where F= maximum load (in Newton’s);
conventional hand-lay-up technique in per-pex L=distance between the supports (in mm); b=width
sheet mold of size 160x100x6mm. Four of the specimen (in mm); t= thickness (also in
composites of different orange peel fiber weight millimeters).
fraction (5, 10, 20, and 30 Wt %) are fabricated.
Test samples were prepared from the composite 2.5. Micro-hardness test
slab using a diamond cutter for tensile and flexural
tests as per ASTM standard. Leitz Micro –hardness tester was used for
Hardness measurement. This tester had a diamond
2.2. Density and Void contain indenter, in the form a right pyramid with a square
base and an angle 136° between opposite faces, is
The density and void contain of composite sample forced in to the material under a load ranging from
have been determined as per ASTM-C 639 and 0.3 to 3 N. Vickers hardness number is calculated
ASTM D-2734-70 standard procedure by using the following formula.
respectively. The volume fraction of voids (Vv) in
0.1889 F 
the composite was calculated by using equation: HV  2
and L 
t   a L 2 (3)
vv 
t (1) Where F = applied load; L= diagonal of square
Where  t = theoretical density;  a = actual impression (mm); X= horizontal length (mm);
Y= vertical length (mm).
density of composite.
3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
2.3. Tensile Strength
The density of the composite has increased with
The tensile tests were conducted according to the
particle content. The neat epoxy taken for this
ASTM 790 standard on Computerized Universal
study possess a density of 1.082 gm/cc which
Testing Machine INSTRON H10KS. The span
increases to 1.143 gm/cc ( with a void fraction of
length of the test specimen used is 125 mm. The

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 Caspian Journal of Applied Sciences Research, 1(13), pp. 190-194, 2012

3.118%) with the reinforcement of 20 volume % of volume % fiber reinforcement which as shown in
orange peels particle in it. It is also noticed that table 2.
void fraction of composite increases from 5

Table 2: Density of different Samples

Fiber Theoretical Density
Measured Density Volume fraction of
content (gm/cm3 )
(gm/cm3 ) voids (%)
(%)
0 1.082 1.100 1.636
5 1.099 1.118 1.771
10 1.113 1.138 2.239
20 1.143 1.179 3.118
30 1.224186 1.224186 1.224186

From Fig 1 it is clear that the increase in filler strength was achieved at 20% filler loading
content, result in the increase in tensile strength of compared to other filler concentration, where it
the composite, this is due to the fact that orange was discovered that as the filler loading increase
peels filler particle strength the interface of resin above 20% the tensile strength decreases
matrix and filler mineral. The maximum tensile gradually.

Fig. 1: Variation of Tensile strength with different fiber contents

From the Fig 2, it is observed that the to the other composites beyond 20 % there is a
composite having 20% particle content has the slight decrease in strength this may be due to void
highest values of flexural strength. Than compared content in composite.

Fig. 2: Variation of flexural strength with different fiber content

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 Ojha et al.
Fabrication and Study of Mechanical Properties of Orange PEEL Reinforced Polymer Composite

Fig 3 illustrates the variation of micro hardness, The maximum value is obtained for composite
with filler loading. It is observed that as the prepared with the 20% composite.
reinforcement increases the hardness increases.

Fig. 3: Variation of Vickers Hardness value with different fiber contents

3.1. SEM analysis of samples composite which is subjected to tensile test.

Micrographs clearly show that no debonding, no
Scanning electron micrographs (SEM) of resin particle chipping out and no crack formation it
sample and its respective composites were taken shows that the bonding is strong between the
on Leo 435 VP. Figure 4 and 5 is the micro graphs matrix and reinforcement.
of the 20 % orange peel reinforced epoxy

Fig. 4: SEM micrograph of 20% orange peel composite after tensile test

Fig.5: SEM micrograph of 20% orange peel composite after flexural test

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 Caspian Journal of Applied Sciences Research, 1(13), pp. 190-194, 2012

4. CONCLUSION composites: effects of fibre length,

orientation and alkali treatment. J Appl
With the successful fabrication of a new class of Polym Sci, 55: 583–94.
epoxy based composites reinforced with orange Hornsby PR, Hinrichsen E, Tarverdi K (1997).
peels. The tensile strength, flexural strength and Preparation and properties of polypropylene
hardness of the composite obtained maximum for composites reinforced with wheat and flax
20% weight percent of orange particle composite. straw fibres. Part II analysis of composite
SEM observation reveals that most of the particle microstructure and mechanical properties. J
was broken instead of pulling out from the matrix. Mater Sci, 32: 1009–15.
This indicates a good bonding between particle and Joshi SV, Drzal LT, Mohanty AK, Arora S (2004).
the matrix. Composites: Part A 35 371.
Lawton J W, Fanta GF (1994). Carbohyd. Polym.
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