Thermal aging of Poly (Methyl Methacrylate) composites filled with natural filler

Abstract

Poly (Methyl Methacrylate)/Palm Kernel Shell (PKS) composites by using Dichloromethane (DCM) as solvent was prepared by solvent casting technique at room termperature. The process started with sieve PKS and dried out moisture for 24 hours at 80°C. The mixing process procedure with PMMA, PKS and DCM poured into petri dish under same method with difference per hundred polymer (php). Study the effect of PKS as a natural filler in PMMA on the thermal aging behavior with different time and mechanical properties of the composite has been investigated. The study has been carried out by means of tensile test to investigate the mechanical behaviour and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) to analyse the morphological fracture structure of PMMA/PKS composites. The results showed that the addition of PKS into PMMA had increased the tensile properties. The increasing of temperature had decreased the tensile properties involves tensile strength, elongation at break. The modulus of elasticity had increase when at low temperature but decrease at high temperature. The thermal properties of PMMA/PKS composites showed that the increasing of PKS loading had decreased the thermal stability but increased the rigidity of composites.