Effect of alumina based particles on mechanical properties and resistance to acryloid composites cavitation

Abstract

In the processes of preservation and restoration of sculptures and archaeological objects, copolymer materials of acrylate type are used because they have proved useful in conservation practice. The main disadvantage of acrylic resins is that they do not meet a more demanding conservation intervention. Because of this, composites are reinforced with particles to improve mechanical properties. Particle composites are made of 5 wt. %, 10 wt. %, and 15 wt. % of alumina based particles doped with ferrous oxide. The materials are determined by microhardness with a micro-Vickers mold suitable for composites. The results showed a significant improvement in microhardness of 7, 8.2 and 9.3 times compared to the polymer matrix without any filler. Examination of the behavior of the material under conditions that can be characterized as very aggressive was performed using cavitation. Cavitation damage of composite materials was tested with modified vibration cavitation. Surface erosion was determined during the experiment by measuring the loss of mass. The results show that the test material exhibits excellent mechanical properties and very good resistance to cavitation erosion.

Keywords

• paraloid
• composite
• cavitation
• image analysis