Processing & Characterization of UHMWPE-CSP (Coconut Shell Powder) Composite

Abstract

The stringent environmental considerations like deforestation have led to a thinking to replace wood with various synthetic materials, such as polymer composites. In this paper, an attempt has been made to reinforce coconut shell. powders (CSP) in a ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE). Prepared by powder metallurgy route, these composites have been evaluated for its mechanical properties and compared with pure UHMWPE (0 vol% CSP). With increasing addition of reinforcement, the impact strength decreases marginally upto 20 vol% after which there is a sharp W. But the compressive strength has not decreased much even after 30 vol% of CSP. An optimum loading of 20 vol% is found to be beneficial for better properties.