Mechanical and Morphological Studies of Rubber Wood Sawdust-Filled UPR Composite Based on Recycled PET

Rubber wood sawdust fillers were mixed with unsaturated polyester matrix, which was prepared by recycling of PET waste from soft drink bottles, to prepare rubber wood sawdust/UPR composite. PET wastes were subjected to recycle by glycolysis and depolymerized to its monomer and dimmer. The glycolysed product was used to prepare unsaturated polyester resin. The FTIR analysis has been done on the resin and the glycolysed product. The resin then mixed with rubber wood sawdust fillers before and after alkali treatment with 10% NaOH. The effect of surface treatment and filler content on the mechanical properties and water absorption of the composite were studied. The tensile fractured surfaces of the composites were studied by Scanning Electron Microscopic (SEM) technique to investigate the interfacial bonding between the matrix and the filler. The results show that the tensile modulus increased with increasing filler contents. In addition, the results show that alkali treatment causes a better adhesion between rubber wood sawdust and UPR matrix and improves the mechanical properties.