Physical, mechanical, and electrical conductivity characteristics of coconut shell-based H3PO4-Activated carbon/epoxy nanocomposites

Abstract

This study examined the physical, mechanical, and electrical conductivity properties of coconut shell-based activated carbon (AC-CS) activated with H3PO4 composite. The AC-CS was incorporated as a filler in epoxy composites at concentrations of 1 %, 2 %, and 5 %. The addition of nanostructured AC-CS notably affected the mechanical and electrical characteristics of the epoxy nanocomposites. Microcracks, matrix cracks, particle-bridging cracks, and steady-state cracks, were observed. The starting voltage for the AC-CS filler-reinforced epoxy composites was above 0.00 V, with a maximum voltage threshold of 100 V. The epoxy composites with 5 % AC-CS displayed an almost linear current-voltage relationship.

Keywords

• Epoxy
• Coconut shell
• Electrical properties
• Nanoparticles
• Electron microscopy