Study of Mechanical Properties on Ferric Oxide Microparticles Reinforced with Polyethylene

Abstract

Polyethylene and ferric oxide microparticles were mixed in this work to generate a new polymer composite. Weight fraction and microparticle size were studied experimentally to discover how they influenced the tensile strength and Young’s modulus. A response surface methodology was employed in the design of the research. The increased weight fraction of reinforcement results in the increase in Young’s modulus and lowers the elongation percentage. As the microparticles expanded in size, so did their effect on the composite’s mechanical characteristics. The tensile strength of specimens containing 20% ferric oxide and particle size of more than 91 µm was dropped by 18 percent due to the agglomeration of microparticles. The addition of 24% Fe2O3 microparticles smaller than 33 μm raised Young’s modulus and tensile strength by 340 percent and 65 percent, respectively.