Recycling of Coal Power Fly Ash Mineral Particulate to Modify Microhardness and Tensile properties of Epoxy Polymer

This project aims to convertas receivedfly ash from coal power station, as a recycled, superior and cheap materialas filler in epoxy matrix used to make carbon fibre reinforced composites in structural and infrastructural applications. Epoxy resin has excellent adhesion to other materials, has chemical and heat resistance and alsogood to excellent mechanical properties, with very good electrical insulation. Diglycidal ether of bisphenol A- (DGEBA)is the chosen resin and cycloaliphatic polyamine is the chosen hardener. Tensile specimens were cured at 120 Cofor2 hours. The fly ash class F has been used was supplied by Cement Australia, Brisbane.The fly ash was added to the epoxy as0, 10, 20, 30, 40 & 50 wt% proportion, using hand mixing then poured carefully into silicone rubber mould with tensile dog-bone shape cavity inside. A 60 % increase in yield strength was observed with 10 % FA addition. This fits with some models of particle inclusion in matrix materials. Vickers micro-hardness studies undertaken at 300 g, 500 g and 1000 g loads and it was seen that indicated that the microhardness was superior at 300 gm load. As microhardness results; 30 wt% and 50 wt% fly ash-epoxy noted some increase in microhardness with fly ash addition.