Filled and unfilled glass/jute-epoxy methacrylate of 1,1’-bis(4-hydroxy phenyl) cyclohexane composites: Mechanical and electrical properties

Abstract

Epoxy methacrylate of 1,1’-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)cyclohexane has been synthesized and styrenated (EMAS) for the preparation of silica and calcium carbonate filled glass and jute composites. Both jute and glass composites displayed good tensile and flexural properties. Tensile strength is found to be improved, while flexural strength decreased due to rigid and brittle nature of the filled composites. Better improvement is observed for silica filled composites. Both tensile and flexural strengths of silica filled glass composites decreased with silica content in the composites. For calcium carbonate filled glass composites, tensile strength is found to increase with filler content up to 6% and then it is decreased with increasing filler content. For silica filled jute composites electric strength is found to increase with filler content. Calcium carbonate filled jute composites show electric strength to increase with filler content up to 6% and then it is found to decrease. For silica filled glass composites, electric strength is found to increase with filler content up to 4% and then it is decreased with filler content. For calcium carbonate filled glass composites, it is found to increase with filler content. Practically no effect of filler content is observed on volume resistivity of filled jute composites. Silica filler caused almost doubled improvement of volume resistivity. For calcium carbonate filled glass composites volume resistivity is found to increase with filler content. Comparatively calcium carbonate filled composites show better tensile and flexural properties than those of silica filled composites, while silica filled composites show somewhat better electrical properties than those of calcium carbonate filled composites. Composites may find their applications as low load bearing housing units in building and construction industries as well as in electrical and electronic industries as insulating materials.