Investigation of Mechanical Properties of Oak Sawdust Filled Polyester Composites

Environmentalist studies in the composites industry mostly focus on the use of polymers and reinforcement materials (fibre or filler) from sustainable sources. The production of sustainable and recyclable products due to reasons such as the rapid decrease in natural resources in the world and environmental concerns is an issue that today's industry emphasizes. In recent years, many studies have been conducted on the use of natural materials obtained from agro-food industry wastes or by-products in the production of composites due to low environmental impact, recyclability and ease of processing. In this study, it is aimed to produce an environmentally friendly composite by using oak sawdust as filler material and polyester as matrix material. Composite materials were obtained by adding sawdust to polyester in different proportions in an open mould. First of all, sawdust was brought to certain dimensions using sieves. It was added to the polyester with the open casting method starting at 5% (5, 10, 15, 20) until it reached saturation. Mechanical properties of the samples such as tensile, impact and hardness were investigated. Thus, the ideal oak sawdust filler ratio added to polyester was determined. In addition, fracture surface image analysis of composite samples was also carried out.