Current study employs reinforcement of untreated (GSP) and alkali treated groundnut shell powder (T-GSP) to the thermoplastic acrylonitrile-butadienestyrene (ABS) matrix for the fabrication of composites. Interactions of alkali to the cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin of T-GSP was confirmed from the ATR-IR analysis. The most significant tensile strength (54.78 MPa) and modulus (2.78 GPa) was reported for 20 wt% T-GSP reinforced ABS composite. Additionally, greatest flexural strength and modulus of 88.30 MPa and 7.80 GPa was recorded for the composite constitutes 20 wt% T-GSP and 80 wt% ABS.The highest and lowest notched impact strength of 15.85 kJ/m 2 and 13.52 kJ/ m 2 were reported for the composites consist of 10 and 20 wt% of T-GSP. Composite 20/80 T-GSP/ABS exhibited highest shore D hardness value of 90. Morphology was studied using FE-SEM characterization and reports excellent wetting of T-GSP particles from ABS. Composites reinforced with 10 wt% of T-GSP exhibited highest (~269 C) while one reinforced with 20 wt% of the T-GSP showed lowest thermal degradation point (~259 C) throughout the temperature range. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) analysis shows an increment (1-6 C) in the glass transition temperature of all the composites compared to pristine ABS irrespective of treatment.alkali-treatment, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, groundnut shell powder, notched impact strength, thermoplastic composites
| INTRODUCTIONComposites materials are essential in many forms for the survival of human life, and they may be structural, [1][2][3][4] functional, [5,6] or biomaterial. [7] However, the fabrication of synthetic fibers for polymer composite manufacturing leads to the generation of immense waste and energy consumption. Natural and sustainable reinforcement with high-mechanical strength could be the perfect and technoeconomic answer to these synthetic counterparts. Due to their environment-friendly and moderately good mechanical properties, they create a huge opportunity to implement them in different engineering and commercial applications. [8,9] For instance, industrial fibers like flax, Piyush Kumar is the first author.