Browsing by Author "Atuanya, C. U."

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    Effect of mahogany filler on mechanical properties of reinforced polyethylene matrix
    (SAVAP International, 2013-07) Olaitan, S. A.; Azeez, T. O.; Atuanya, C. U.; Onukwuli, O. D.; Officha, M. C.; Menkiti, M. C.
    The effect of mahogany filler as an agricultural waste material used in thermoplastic polymer composite was investigated. Polyethylene (PE), as the matrix, and mahogany sawdust, as the filler, were prepared in five levels of filler loading (10, 20, 25, 30, and 35 wt %) to form thermoplastic composites.Two forms of composite samples were prepared with a recycled polyethylene and mahogany wood filler called recycled polyethylene (RPE) composite and 20 percent of virgin polyethylene with recycled polyethylene wood filler called virgin polyethylene recycled polyethylene (VRPE)composite and their mechanical properties were studied. Test results show that the tensile strengths, tensile modulus, flexural strengths, flexural modulus and hardness properties increased while impact strength, decreased with increase in filler loading for the mixed polyethylene composites but tensile strength of there cycled polyethylene composite decreased with increased filler loading. The appreciable improvement on the tensile strength indicates that mahogany can be used as a reinforced material of the mixed polyethylene composite. Again the presence of 20 percent of virgin PE has significant effects (p < 0.05) on mechanical properties of the mahogany filler – recycled polyethylene composite.
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    Effect of rice husk filler on mechanical properties of polyethylene matrix composite
    (2013-08) Atuanya, C. U.; Olaitan, S. A.; Azeez, T. O.; Akagu, C. C.; Onukwuli, D. O.; Menkiti, M. C.
    compositeIn the present work, the effect of rice husk filler loading (10%, 20%, 25%, 30%, and 35%) on the mechanical properties of recycled low density polyethylene (RPE) and mixed with 20 percent weight fraction of virgin polyethylene (MPE) composites was aimed to be investigated. The waste polyethylene was blended with virgin polyethylene and the composites of RPE and MPE were moulded with the addition of rice husk filler using injection moulding machine at a pressure 150MPa and temperature 160oC. The composites were cut into specified dimensions and mechanical properties were conducted on them. Tensile strength increased up to 10 percent weight fraction of rice husk filler in the composites and later decreased above 10 percent filler loading. Tensile modulus, flexural strength and modulus, and Brinell hardness increases with increased filler loading, but impact strength decreases with increased in filler loading. The rice husk filler loading had significant effect (p < 0.05) on the mechanical properties of MPE composite compared with RPE composite which indicated that rice husk filler may be used for reinforcement of Polyethylene
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    Effects of chemical surface modifications on combretumdolichopetalum fiber for sustainable applications
    (U. P., 2016-01) Walter, P. E.; Azeez, T. O.; Onukwuli, O. D.; Atuanya, C. U.
    The need to minimize the environmental effect posed by Combretum dolichopetalum(C. dolichopetalum) fiber and its effective use in polymer applications necessitated this study. Effect of chemical surface treatments onC. dolichopetalum fiberfor sustainable applications was aimed to be investigated. Retting method was employed for extraction of C. dolichopetalum fiber and the proximate contents were determined using gravimetric analysis. The fibers were mercerized and acetylated separately by 0 – 15 % within time intervals of 10 – 50 minutes and 30 – 150 minutes respectively at room temperature. The tensile strength in accordance with ASTM standards, aspect ratio, water absorption and microstructural analysis were studied with aids of scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The result shows that the fibers contain 59.22 % cellulose, 20.30 % hemicelluloses, 2.40 % lignin, 9.32 % pectin, 4.08 % moisture and 2.26 % wax. The tensile strength of the mercerized and acetylated fibers increased by 877.58 % and 601.73 % of the unmodified fibers at 6 and 12 % concentration for 30 minutes due to increased aspect ratio with reduced density and water adsorption. SEM and FTIR studies revealed changes in surface topography and surface chemistry of the treated fibers.