Development of unsaturated polyester/fiber glass composites with foundry sand

Abstract

In this study, the effect of the use of foundry sand as a filler on the formation of different layer configurations in polyester/fiber glass composites was investigated. The composites were produced by hand lay-up lamination and their physical, mechanical and morphological properties were investigated. In the samples containing sand as the filler, the configuration of the layers affected the interface region of the phases, thus significantly affecting the mechanical properties of the samples. The morphological analysis of the composites revealed the presence of regions with moderate interaction between the phases (polyester / glass fiber and polyester / foundry sand), which can cause delamination of the layers and consequently the deterioration of the mechanical properties of the composites when compared to the composite without the sand.