Copper slag as a potential waste filler for polyethylene-based composites manufacturing

Abstract

The present study aimed to analyze the application of waste material from copper production– copper slag (ŻŻL) as filler for composites based on the high-density polyethylene (HDPE). Copper slag filler was introduced in the amounts of 1–20 wt%, and its influence on the appearance (color analysis), chemical structure (Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy), microstructure (optical microscopy), as well as static (tensile tests) and dynamic (dynamical mechanical analysis (DMA)) mechanical properties of composites were investigated. Proper dispersion of filler implicated that the incorporation of up to 5 wt% of filler caused only slight, 5% drop of tensile strength, with the simultaneous 16% rise of Young’s modulus. Further increase of filler loading resulted in higher values of porosity and the rise of the adhesion factor, determined from DMA results, which led to the deterioration of mechanical performance. Moreover, spectroscopic analysis of PE-ŻŻL composites indicated that the analyzed filler might be applied as a coloring agent, and the appearance of composites may be engineered by adjustment of filler loading.

Keywords: polyethylene, copper slag, mechanical properties, structure, composite, particle reinforced composite