Development and Thermal Characteristics of Maize-Husk Filled Polymer Composite

Maize husk is a by-product of maize milling process that usually finds inadequate final disposal (burning, land filling). Composites filled with maize husk flour are materials that offer an alternative for using this agricultural resource viewing the production of low dense materials with some specific properties. In this study, we isolated and characterized maize husk, an agricultural waste that is often left untreated and underutilized after harvest season. Moreover, we investigated the reinforcing effect of maize husk to epoxy-based bio-composite. This thesis is mainly concern with the study of favourable physical, micro-structural and thermal properties of maize husk particulate in thermosetting matrix composite.