the potential of coated composite materials as substitute of wood

8/18/2019 The Potential of Coated Composite Materials as Substitute of Wood

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THE POTENTIAL OF

COATED COMPOSITE MATERIALS

AS SUBSTITUTE OF WOOD

AKMAL HAZIQ BIN MOHD SHAH

NUR FARZANA BINTI MOHD ZURAIDI

MAKTAB RENDAH SAINS MARA MERBOK

JANUARY 2016


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CONTENT

Topic Page

Acknowledgement i

Content ii

Abstract iii

Chapter 1: Introduction 5

Chapter 2: Literature Review 8

Chapter 3: Methodology 13

Chapter 4: Results and Discussion 17

Chapter 5: Conclusions and Recommendations 19

References 21

Appendix 22


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ABSTRACT

THE POTENTIAL OF COMPOSITE SUBSTANCES TO INCREASE THE STRENGTH

OF PRODUCTION MATERIAL

Akmal Haziq bin Mohd Shah

Nur Farzana binti Mohd Zuraidi

Maktab Rendah Sains MARA Merbok, Kedah

Logging activities must be reduced to halt global warming issues which is getting worst day byday. This project is a “Go Green” concept project which use daily waste as the main substance and

decrease the uses of wood in construction and furniture production sector at once. This will ease

consumers load in wood maintenance too.

Dry leaves, eggshells, newspapers and soil were collected and mixed together. Next, the mixture

was compressed manually and coated with epoxy resin or fiber glass. Lastly, it was dried under

sunlight for two days.

For the mentioned mixture above, 30 % of dry leaves, 30 % of eggshells, 40 % of newspapers and

5 % of soil were used. The product coated with epoxy resin can relocate load until 1334.5 N while

fiber glass coating can relocate load until 1526.3 N.

In a nutshell, the project has undefeated characteristics which are long life time without

maintenance, practical to be used in any condition, very light weight and also strong.

CATEGORY: PHYSICS


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CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION


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CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background

This project is undertaken to reduce the uses of wood in construction since nowadays trees

have been logging to produce some of the construction and furniture products. Wood has

traditionally been classified into two primary categories: hardwood (any leaf-bearing tree) and

softwood (any cone-bearing tree). As with most other general classifications, this can get

somewhat confusing due to the fact that there are some leaf-bearing trees that can have

relatively soft wood, while some coniferous trees that can have rather hard wood. Generally

speaking, however, hardwoods are by and large considered to be heavier and more dense thansoftwoods.

Hardwoods are commonly used in the construction of walls, ceilings and floors, while

softwoods are often used to make doors, furniture and window frames. Some examples of the

most popular hardwoods include oak, maple, mahogany, cherry, walnut, and teak. Commonly

used softwoods include pine, hickory, beach, ash, birch, and cedar. It is an outcome solution.

As we can see wood will experience decayed after a long time have been used without any

maintenance. It will be a heavy load for consumers to maintain it. So composite materials can

be used to replace the wood. The mixture of composite substances coated with epoxy resin can

replace softwoods while fiber glass coating can replace hardwoods. It is one of the way to

stabilize our earth as logging activities has been reduced.

1.2 Problem Statement

Nowadays, our earth is getting worst because of logging activities. Woods are needed in

construction and furniture sector. This creates a lack of trees and brings environmental effect

to the world such as global warming.

According to the World Carfree Network (WCN), cars and trucks account for about 14 percentof global carbon emissions, while most analysts attribute upwards of 15 percent to

deforestation.The reason that logging is so bad for the climate is that when trees are felled they

release the carbon they are storing into the atmosphere, where it mingles with greenhouse gases

from other sources and contributes to global warming accordingly. The upshot is that we

should be doing as much to prevent deforestation.

1.3 Objective


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The objective of the research is to :

1. study about the optimum percentage of composite materials as substitution of wood.

2. produce substitude wood from coated composite materials.

3.

test the strength of substitude wood from coated composite materials.

1.4 Scope of Study

On the study that we had carried out, we are focus on the composite materials that found in

daily life such as dry leaves, newspapers, eggshells and soil. Next, we also studied on the

potential of the composite materialsthat are coating with epoxy resin and fiber glass in

strengthens to show that composite materials are very resistant. Other than that, we want to

examine the coated composite materials using strength test.

1.5 Hypothesis

The composite materials can be stronger and influence by a few factors which is the percentage

of the dry leaves, newspapers, eggshells and soil added. In order to increase the strength of the

project, we must add all the materials according to the rates specified, 30 % of dry leaves, 30

% of eggshells, 40 % of newspapers and 5 % of soil.


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CHAPTER 2

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Composite Material

A composite material can be defined as a combination of a matrix and a reinforcement, which

when combined gives properties superior to the properties of the individual components. In

the case of a composite, the reinforcement is the fibers and is used to fortify the matrix in

terms of strength and stiffness.

The reinforcement fibers can be cut, aligned, placed in different ways to affect the properties

of the resulting composite. The matrix, normally a form of resin, keeps the reinforcement in

the desired orientation. It protects the reinforcement from chemical and environmental attack,and it bonds the reinforcement so that applied loads can be effectively transferred.

The term ‘composite’ can be used for a multitude of materials. Composites UK uses the term

composite, or reinforced polymers to encompass Carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRP)

and Glass fiber-reinforced polymers (GFRP). Composite can refer as Aramid products such

as Kevlar and also Bio-derrived polymers or bio composites as they are sometimes referred.

The primary reason composite materials are chosen for components is because of weight

saving for its relative stiffness and strength. For example, carbon-fiber reinforced composite

can be five times stronger than 1020 grade steel while having only one fifth of the weight.

Aluminium (6061 grade) is much nearer in weight to carbon-fiber composite, though stillsomewhat heavier, but the composite can have twice the modulus and up to seven times the

strength.

As with all engineering materials, composites have particular strengths and weaknesses,

which should be considered at the specifying stage. Composites are by no means the right

material for every job.

However, a major driving force behind the development of composites has been that the

combination of the reinforcement and the matrix can be changed to meet the required final

properties of a component. For example, if the final component needs to be fire-resistant, a

fire-retardant matrix can be used in the development stage so that it has this property.

Stiffness and strength can also be influenced at the development stage. The material structure

can be engineered so that the directionality of the reinforcement material is arranged so as to

match the loading on a given component.


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A wide range of coatings and paints are available to match appropriate environmental

conditions, which can be highlighted in the initial development stage or applied later should

it be decided that a particular property or standard needs to be met further down the line.

Cost is ever present in the engineering equation and it is the balance of cost, performance and

life-cycle analysis that should determine whether or not to use polymer composites over analternative structural material option.

2.2 Epoxy Resin

Epoxy resins, group of synthetic resins used to make plastics and adhesives. These materials

are noted for their versatility, but their relatively high cost has limited their use. High resistanceto chemicals and outstanding adhesion, durability, and toughness have made them valuable as

coatings. Because of their high electrical resistance, durability at high and low temperatures,

and the ease with which they can be poured or cast without forming bubbles, epoxy resin

plastics are especially useful for encapsulating electrical and electronic components. Epoxy

resin adhesives can be used on metals, construction materials, and most other synthetic resins.

They are strong enough to be used in place of rivets and welds in certain industrial applications.

Obviously there are many more Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic (FRP) composite products

manufactured from epoxy, but mentioned were a few products that are commonly

manufactured with epoxy and with a particular manufacturing process. Additionally, the same

epoxy resin likely cannot be used for each of the mentioned processes.

Epoxies are fine tuned for the desired application and manufacturing process. For example,

pultrusion and compression molding epoxy resins are heat activated where as an infusion resin

might be ambient cure and have a lower viscosity. When compared to other traditional

thermoset or thermoplastic resins, epoxy resins have distinct advantages, including low shrink

during cure, excellent moisture resistance, excellent chemical resistance, good electrical

properties, impact resistant, no Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), increased mechanical

and fatigue strength and also long shelf life.

2.3 Fiber Glass


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Fiberglass, or “Glass Fiber”, is much like Kleenex, a Thermos or a Dumpster in that a

trademarked name has become so familiar that people usually only think of one thing when

they hear it. As a Kleenex is a tissue or a Dumpster is a trash bin, Fiberglass is the fluffy, pink

insulation that lines the attics of people’s homes.

Actually, that’s only a part of the story. The Owens Corning company did trademark the

widely used insulation product known as fiberglass. But, fiberglass itself has a familiar base

structure and a wide variety of uses.

Fiberglass really is made of glass, similar to windows or the drinking glasses in the kitchen.

The glass is heated until it is molten, then it is forced through superfine holes, creating glass

filaments that are very thin – so thin they are better measured in microns.

Different resins may then be added to fiberglass once it is woven together to give it addedstrength, as well as allow it to be molded into various shapes. Common items made of

fiberglass include swimming pools and spas, doors, surfboards, sporting equipment, boat hulls

and a wide array of exterior automobile parts. The light yet durable nature of fiberglass also

makes it ideal for more delicate applications, such as in circuit boards.

Fiberglass may be mass-produced in mats or sheets or custom-made for a specific purpose. A

new bumper or fender on an automobile, for example, may need to be custom-made to replace

a damaged area, or for the production of a new model. For this, one would create a form in

the desired shape out of foam or some other material, then layer a fiberglass coated in resin

over it. The fiberglass will harden, then can be reinforced with more layers, or reinforced from

within. But, for items like shingles, a massive sheet of a fiberglass and resin compound may

be manufactured and cut by machine.

It should be noted that fiberglass is not carbon fiber, nor is it glass-reinforced plastic, although

it is similar to both. Carbon fiber, which is made of strands of carbon, cannot be extruded into

strands as long as fiberglass, as it will break. This, among other reasons, makes fiberglass

cheaper to manufacture, although it is not as strong. Glass-reinforced plastic is what it sounds

like – plastic with fiberglass embedded into it to increase strength. The similarities to

fiberglass are apparent, but a defining characteristic of fiberglass is that the glass strands are

the main component.

Although there has not been much advancement in the recycling of fiberglass items once they

have already been produced, fiberglass itself may be manufactured from recycled glass, and

is often done so. Owens Corning has reported the production of fiberglass insulation with as

much as 70% recycled glass.

2.4 Wood


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Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other

woody plants. It has been used for thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction

material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers (which are strong in

tension) embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression. Wood is sometimesdefined as only the secondary xylem in the stems of trees or it is defined more broadly to

include the same type of tissue elsewhere such as in the roots of trees or shrubs. In a living

tree it performs a support function, enabling woody plants to grow large or to stand up by

themselves. It also conveys water and nutrients between the leaves, other growing tissues, and

the roots. Wood may also refer to other plant materials with comparable properties, and to

material engineered from wood, or wood chips or fiber.

The Earth contains about 434 billion cubic meters of growing stock forest, 47% of which is

commercial. As an abundant, carbon-neutral renewable resource, woody materials have been

of intense interest as a source of renewable energy. In 1991, approximately 3.5 cubickilometers of wood were harvested. Dominant uses were for furniture and building

construction.

It is common to classify wood as either softwood or hardwood. The wood from conifers for

example pine is called softwood, and the wood from dicotyledons which is broad-leaved trees

such as oak is called hardwood. These names are a bit misleading, as hardwoods are not

necessarily hard, and softwoods are not necessarily soft. The well-known balsa which is a

hardwood is actually softer than any commercial softwood. Conversely, some softwoods like

yew are harder than many hardwoods.

There is a strong relationship between the properties of wood and the properties of the

particular tree that yielded it. The density of wood varies with species and correlates with its

strength shown by its mechanical properties. For example, mahogany is a medium-dense

hardwood that is excellent for fine furniture crafting, whereas balsa is light-dense, making it

useful for model building while one of the densest woods is black ironwood.


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CHAPTER 3

METHODOLOGY

CHAPTER 3


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METHODOLOGY

3.1 Apparatus

Substance mold

Scoop

Steel plate

Stick

Gas stove

3.2 Materials

5 g soil

30 g dry leaves

30 g eggshells

40 g newspapersWax

Fiber glass

Fiber mat

Epoxy resin

Hardener

3.3 Procedures


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1. Soil, eggshells, newspapers, and dried leaves were prepared

2. Newspaper and dried leaves were cut into a small pieces

Figure 3.3.1: Dry leaves and newspapers mixture

3. 5 g of soil, 30 g of dried leaves, 30 g of eggshells and 40 g of newspapers were mixed

together

4.

The mixture was compressed using manual compression method


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Figure 3.3.2: Mixture which has been compressed

5. The compressed mixture was heated using gas stove within 10 minutes

6. The compressed mixture was coated with fiber glass or epoxy resin

Figure 3.3.3: The heated mixture

7. Lastly, the coated mixture was dried under the sunlight within two days


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CHAPTER 4

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION


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CHAPTER 4

RESULT AND DISCUSSIONS

4.1 Results

Percentage of mixtureOptimum/Not Optimum No. Soil Dried leaves Newspaper Egg shell

1. 2% 35% 20% 48% Not Optimum

2. 40% 20% 20% 20% Not Optimum

3. 5% 30% 35% 30% Optimum

Table 4.1 The relationship between the percentage of mixture and

the strength of compressed composite substance.

4.2 Discussion

Based on the table above, the strength of the mixture is depends on the quantity of dry

leaves, eggshells, newspapers and soil added. 30 % dry leaves, 30 % eggshells, 40 %

newspapers and 5 % soil made the optimum strength. Meanings that data would be the

most appropriate percentage to make the mixture. Other than that, the quantity of soil also

give impact to the strength of mixture. The more soil used in the mixture the softer the

mixture will be. In addition, if soil used in the mixture is less, the less strength of themixture.


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CHAPTER 5

CONCLUSIONS

&

RECOMMENDATIONS


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CHAPTER 5

CONCLUSIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 Conclusions

The coated composite materials by epoxy resin and fiber glass have been successfully

made. We observed that the amount of each composite materials affect the strength of the

product. From the observation we found that the mixture of 5 g of soil, 30 g of dried

leaves, 30 g of eggshells and 40 g of newspapers give the optimum strength of the

composite product.

Last factor is the coating of the mixed composite materials. So, the best coating substancefor the composite materials is fiber glass.

5.2 Recommendations

In the future research, we will use compression machine to make it more compact and

harder. Other than that, we also try to diversify the composite materials. So, it will be easier

to make this product without any pollution.

5.3 Future Development

For the future development, we propose to make a house using the composite materials.

This house will be cooler without using any fan or air conditioner as the specific heat

capacity of wood is high. This house also more eco-friendly because it does not give any

harmful to the nature but only use daily waste materials for the composite.


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REFERENCES

1.

http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/science/epoxy-resins.html

2.

http://composite.about.com/od/Resins/a/Epoxy-Resin.htm

3.

https://compositesuk.co.uk/composite-materials

4.

http://composite.about.com/od/fibers/a/Fiberglass-What-Is-Fiberglass.htm

5.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood

http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/science/epoxy-resins.htmlhttp://composite.about.com/od/Resins/a/Epoxy-Resin.htmhttps://compositesuk.co.uk/composite-materialshttp://composite.about.com/od/fibers/a/Fiberglass-What-Is-Fiberglass.htmhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodhttp://composite.about.com/od/fibers/a/Fiberglass-What-Is-Fiberglass.htmhttps://compositesuk.co.uk/composite-materialshttp://composite.about.com/od/Resins/a/Epoxy-Resin.htmhttp://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/science/epoxy-resins.html


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APPENDIX

1. List of abbreviations :

WCN – World Carfree Network

CFRP – Carbon Fiber-reinforced Polymers

GFRP – Glass Fiber-reinforced Polymers

UK – United Kingdom

FRP – Fiberglass Reinforced Plastics

VOCs – Volatile Organic Compounds

2. List of figures :

Figure 3.3.1 Mixed dry leaves and newspapers

Figure 3.3.2 Mixture was compressed manually

Figure 3.3.3 Coated mixture

3. List of table:

Table 4.1 The relationship between the percentage of mixture and

the strength of compressed composite substance.

the potential of coated composite materials as substitute of wood

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